Maryland Watermen's Monument

Dedicated in 2003 to those who died while working in Maryland’s seafood industry. Shortly after the Civil War, the seafood industry in the Chesapeake Bay boomed, and by the turn of the 20th century, nearly a quarter of all boats registered in the United States were harvesting seafood on the Chesapeake.

These boats harvested fish, crabs, oysters, and clams. But by the 21st century, climate change, pollution, and overfishing had decimated the industry. Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States—according to the CDC, it has a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average. Names of Maryland watermen who died are carved around the base of the statue.