Anyone interested in politics has experienced the frustrations of politicians pledging to protect the economy, the environment, and the overall well-being of their people without taking what seems to be obvious measures to do so.

On the Delmarva Peninsula, the disparity is more glaring when politicians do not realize, or refuse to realize, that all three protections can be accomplished at once. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, by protecting the Chesapeake Bay, politicians can save $890,000 in income, 34,000 local jobs, 3,600 species of plants and animals, and a gorgeous recreational and spiritual resource.

However, due to irresponsible judgement by politicians, the Bay’s beauty is slowly disappearing. The largest, most beautiful estuary in the nation is slowly being depleted of its many natural resources such as its animals, plants, and water quality.

Politicians have not been proactive enough in protecting the Bay and its resources. Allowing housing developments and deforestation along the water creates pollution from the close proximity of humans and exacerbate existing issues such as runoff.

Throughout history, some of the most important wildlife animals of the Bay have been the blue crabs, oysters, and fish. Unfortunately, chemical contamination and overexploitation have degraded these important economic and environmental resources.

Overexploitation has decimated the number of oysters, amplifying the impacts of other pollution. Oysters are filter feeders, which means that they filter the water and help clean the water of pollutants. According the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, current oyster numbers in the Bay are one percent of their historic numbers.

The state governments of Maryland and Virginia need to work together to impose more sustainable limits on oyster harvesting as well as promote oyster sanctuaries, which protect oyster reefs and allow for oyster populations to recover to their once abundant numbers.

Pollution in the Bay can be attributed to a multitude of factors, including deforestation, soil erosion, runoff, improper disposal of waste, and everyday human activities. A government plan of action restricting wasteful gases and supporting environmentally friendly alternatives must be initiated.

Politicians must work with farmers and scientists to make more environmental friendly agricultural practices. Soil erosion is one of the largest impacts agriculture has on the environment and needs to be the primary focus of these regulations. Incentivizing, farming techniques such as strip cropping and contour farming will dramatically reduce soil erosion and runoff.

Due to unfulfilled promises by politicians of both parties, there is a growing amount of excess nitrogen in the Bay. This excess creates algae that blocks oxygen and sunlight from entering and nurturing the appropriate areas of the Bay. The algae creates “dead zones,” where life is non-existent below the surface.

The Bay is necessary for the survival of Maryland and Virginia’s economies, and preserving the Bay is not only in the best interest of the abundance of wild and sea life who live there, but also in the best interest of our wallets.

Virginia and Maryland have lost almost four billion dollars in the seafood industry over the past 30 years as a direct result of pollution on the local sea life. The negative impact of pollution on sea life has led to a decreased need for workers in the fishing and seafood processing industry, resulting in a loss of jobs for local workers.

Additionally, the Chesapeake Bay is used for recreational purposes such as boating, swimming, and recreational fishing. If pollution of the Bay continues, no one will be able participate in these activities in the Bay and will be forced to find another location to practice these hobbies.

In order to preserve the beauty of the Bay, Maryland and Virginia need to be more forceful with the laws that have been created to protect the area. People need to be aware of the dangers that the polluted areas can have on the water.

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, also known as the Bay Act, was created to help enhance the land surrounding the Bay. If this law was enforced to the utmost extent, the water quality would improve and would allow for the species to thrive.

On a more local level, people who live along the waters of the Bay and its tributaries need to be more persuasive to other people and more conscientious of pollution. A study done by Save The Bay, an organization dedicated to restoration and research, found that on average, there were three pieces of litter per foot along tributaries of the Bay. Simply preventing littering and picking it up when it does happen would clean the water of the Bay and improve natural and recreational uses.  

The Bay is our natural resource, providing an immense amount of recreational attributes and benefits. It’s our responsibility as Marylanders to protect the largest, most beautiful estuary in the nation.