174b 



PHILIP H. PARKER 



production in the United States taken from Engle (1966). 



This shows that U. 3. oyster production has declined at 



a fairly constant rate for the past 50 years. These data 



also indicate that a majority of this decline has occurred 



on the East Coast of the United States where many areas 



have gone out of oyster production (for various reasons 



including pollution, over-harvest, set failures, and oyster 



diseases). Figure 1 also shows that oyster production on 



the Pacific Coast while fairly low, has remained stable 



over the past several years. 



"Changes in population, both locally and 

 nationally, will also have an important effect on future 

 demand for oysters as well as the general world food supply. 

 There are many different sources or experts available on 

 the subject of population increase (Panel on oceanography 

 1966 (Larkin I965) Senti 1967); but there does seem to be 

 some agreement that world population v;ill double by the 

 year 2,000, and may go up as much as 10 times the present 

 figure before it levels off. The State of Washington is 

 expected to grow faster than the national rate, and it is 

 anticipated that the population of this state will nearly 

 double by I985 (Washington Department of Commerce and 

 Economic Development). 



"The present available food supply and the 



