One has to be cheered by reports that the Chesapeake Bay oyster harvest has increased tenfold from the depths it reached a decade ago. Most of the bay at that time was closed to oystering in an effort to preserve the remaining native stock.

Intensive efforts by the state, by scientists, and by such private organizations as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation have brought positive results. There is a flicker of hope that the delicious bay oyster may recover from near-eradication brought on by disease and overfishing.

Good news.

And now the bad: no more fishing for herring. This new state moratorium comes 19 years after the herring’s running mate, the shad, was put on the prohibited list. The passage of two decades has not brought the shad back to sustainable levels, and now its more popular partner is in peril.

Is this progress?

When it comes to the health of our bay and the population of its creatures, it is hard to assess exactly where we stand now. Only one thing is clear...