They enable commercial fisheries and recreational offerings, and many jobs are dependent on these resources. They include trout, smallmouth bass, blue crabs, oysters, American shad, river herring and blueback herring. A favorite of anglers, the smallmouth bass, would benefit from establishment of riparian corridors and reduced sedimentation. These would improve spawning habitat, increase food sources and reduce stress caused by higher stream temperatures. A healthier population would enhance canoeing and guiding services.
Blue crabs are now the most economically important species in the bay.
More than half the blue crabs caught in the United States are from the Chesapeake Bay. Improving submerged aquatic vegetation in the bay would enhance the crustacean s future. Seagrass beds are essential to the survival of juvenile crabs. Reducing sedimentation by using soil conservation measures would improve the lot of bay oysters. And improving their health is critical not only because of their historically important economic value.