Project funded by Blue Convergence Fund’s Climate Resilient Fisheries Engagement Grant
Photo by Erika Fawcett, submitted to the 2020 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fishing and Boating Services Unit has been awarded $96,572 from the nonprofit Blue Convergence Fund to develop a climate resilient fishery management plan for the state. This project was funded in February 2026 as part of the 2025 Climate Resilient Fisheries Engagement Grants and is one of only 11 proposals accepted globally.
In 2025, the Maryland General Assembly passed, and Governor Moore signed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act. This legislation helps expand climate resilience planning and implementation efforts across state-managed fisheries. In response to this expanded authority, DNR will develop a fishery management plan that provides a framework for using adaptation and resilience strategies and enables fisheries managers to prepare for environmental and climate change.
“Climate change is already impacting Maryland,” said DNR Resilient Systems Officer Jackie Specht. “A climate resilient fishery management plan will allow Maryland to prepare for both the challenges and opportunities that arise for Maryland’s fishing resources and communities in the future.”
The Chesapeake Bay’s water temperatures have warmed approximately 2.5°C since 1985, and sea level rise has converted 29,100 acres of upland forests and farms to tidal marsh since 1984. These changes pose challenges for the ecology of coastal ecosystems, recreational and commercial fishing operations, and the state’s ability to adaptively manage fisheries resources.
DNR plans to coordinate climate change data available through regional partners, share that information with fishing communities, and use their knowledge to collaboratively develop a management framework for sustaining both recreational and commercial fisheries resources in the face of environmental and climate change.
DNR is now accepting applications for a fishery management plan workgroup, bringing together Maryland state fishery managers, scientific experts, and fishing community members to share diverse knowledge. Workgroup members will attend group meetings, gather information, and collaborate with DNR staff and other members to ultimately draft and review the fishery management plan. The plan could be adopted into existing state fisheries regulations, which would foster long-term resilience and support fishing communities into the future.
Any adult living in the Chesapeake Bay watershed who is interested in developing adaptation and resilience strategies for managing Maryland’s fisheries is encouraged to apply. Interested individuals can find the application form and submission details on the DNR website. Applications will be accepted through May 13, and workgroup activities are expected to take place from spring 2026 to spring 2027.
