Our Bay: Dredging dilemma

Any attempt to bring back the Chesapeake Bay's flagging oyster population requires a key ingredient: oyster shells.

The shells are a key part of the recipe for growing and planting oysters: baby oysters created in a lab attach to old shells; the shells are used to build up the base of sanctuary oyster reefs; and they're the centerpiece of a controversial shell-moving program called repletion that benefits watermen.

"All activities that seek to bring about increases in oyster population - whether it's aquaculture or reef creation or even repletion - all require oyster shells," said Mike Naylor, head of the...