{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/maryland-delegation-members-urge-trump-administration-declare-oyster-fishery", "Maryland Delegation Members Urge Trump Administration to Declare Oyster Fishery Disaster, Deliver Assistance", "2026-02-27", "2026", "2026-02", "Republican", "House", "MD", "Andy Harris", "H001052", "harris.house.gov", "harris", "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the Maryland Congressional Delegation \u2013 U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Andy Harris, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olsewski, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, and April McClain Delaney \u2013 expressed support for the State of Maryland\u2019s request for an evaluation of the Maryland oyster fishery for eligibility for a fishery resource disaster designation, and urged U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to exercise his authority to approve fishery disaster assistance for the Maryland oyster fishery. In their letter, the lawmakers highlighted the adverse weather and market conditions that watermen have faced this year, resulting in a steep decline in the oyster harvest coupled with a significant drop in oyster prices \u2013 threatening their livelihoods.\n\n\u201cWe write to you as the Maryland Congressional Delegation to urge your favorable consideration of the request from Maryland Governor Wes Moore to conduct an evaluation of the Maryland oyster fishery for eligibility for fishery resource disaster assistance as authorized by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended by the Fishery Resource Disasters Improvement Act,\u201d Team Maryland began. \u201cGiven recent challenges facing the industry \u2013 including icy conditions due to the unseasonably cold winter season, recent fishery closures resulting from the Potomac River sewage spill, and overall challenging market conditions \u2013 we urge you to declare a fishery disaster and approve fishery resource disaster assistance for the Maryland oyster fishery as soon as possible.\u201d\n\nUnderscoring the harmful consequences of these difficult conditions, the lawmakers wrote, \u201cas compared with a five-year average of commercial landings, data from January of 2026 shows a concerning 44% decline in oyster harvest with continued depressed levels of harvest expected this year, while the dockside value of a bushel of oysters has dropped by 66%.\u201d\n\nRegarding the important role of the oyster industry in Maryland\u2019s economy and culture, they continued, \u201cthe Maryland oyster fishery is of economic importance to the state, with millions of dollars of commercial landings every year that bolster the Maryland food service and tourism economies, while providing critical income for Maryland watermen. Maryland oysters are also a cornerstone of the rich Chesapeake Bay heritage and are a source of pride for the state, underscoring the importance of the continued operation of the commercial oyster fishery.\u201d", 1, "2026-05-01T06:06:26Z", "2026-05-01T06:08:22Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/maryland-delegation-members-urge-trump-administration-declare-oyster-fishery"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6546769291162491, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}