$250.00 INCLUDES FREE SHIPPING WITHIN THE LOWER 48 STATES ONLY.
OYSTER FISHING BOAT
The skipjack arose near
the end of the 1800s.
Dredging for oysters, prohibited in 1820, was again made
legal in 1865.
Maryland's oyster harvest reached an all-time peak in 1884,
at approximately
15 million bushels of oysters. The oyster harvest has since
declined steadily,
especially at the end of the 20th century. The size of the
fleet has likewise declined.
New skipjacks were built as late as 1993, but a
change in the law in 1965 allowed
the use of motor power two days of the week.
As a result,
few of the boats are operated under sail in commercial use; instead,
a pushboat is used to move the skipjack, and little dredging is done
except on the days that power is allowed.
At one time,
the number of skipjacks produced is estimated at
approximately 2000; today, they
number about 40 with less than
half of them in active fishing. The future of
the fleet remains in
doubt as efforts continue to restore the productivity of
the oyster beds.
The skipjack was designated the state boat of Maryland in 1985.
