MoHusks . Washington State is probably the 

 nation's largest producer of farmed-raised 

 mollusks. In 1990, oyster production {Cras- 

 sostrea gigas) was about eight million pounds 

 and valued at $17.3 million. Also in 1990, 

 Washington growers reported production of 

 3.4 million pounds of Manila clams {Tapes 

 philippinarum) valued at $5 million. Wash- 

 ington farmers also produced almost 590,000 

 pounds of mussels (Mytilus edulis) valued at 

 $800,000. Other States also have farm-raised 

 mollusk industries although the reporting of 

 production is spotty. On the East and Gulf 

 coasts, oyster production is chiefly the Amer- 

 ican oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Florida 

 growers reported sales of $ 1.4 million in 199 1, 

 while Maryland growers reported sales of 

 12,430 bushels. In various areas along the 

 East coast, there are hard clam farms. Flor- 

 ida clam farmers reported sales of $1.2 mil- 

 lion in 1991. 



Salmon . The domestic farm-raised salmon 

 industry faces strong competition from do- 

 mestic wild catch as well as foreign wild catch 

 and farm-raised product. Farm-raised sal- 

 mon primarily consists of Atlantic, coho, and 

 Chinook. Atlantic salmon is becoming the 

 predominant species raised in the United 

 States because, in a culture situation, it has 

 some advantages over other species. 



In 1992, production of U.S. farm-raised sal- 

 mon was estimated at 19 million pounds (live- 

 weight). This represents a large increase 

 from 1991, as production in Maine rose to 13 

 million pounds in 1992, up considerably from 

 the previous year. 



The U.S. farm-raised salmon industry is 

 greatly influenced by foreign competition. In 

 1992, fresh farm-raised Atlantic salmon im- 

 ports totaled $127 million, up 17 percent from 

 a year earlier. Canada and Chile were the 



dominant suppliers, each country accounting 

 for over 90 percent of imports. 



Shrimp . During the 1980's, foreign produc- 

 tion of farm-raised shrimp increased dramat- 

 ically, making aquaculture a major force in 

 the shrimp industry. In 1991, world produc- 

 tion of marine shrimp was approximately 1.5 

 billion pounds. The largest expansion has 

 been in China, Thailand, Ecuador, and In- 

 donesia. 



In the United States, there is a great deal of 

 enthusiasm in shrimp culture due to the com- 

 mercial success in other countries. In 1992, 

 U.S. production of farm-raised marine 

 shrimp was about 4.4 million pounds (live- 

 weight). Growers in Hawaii, Texas, and 

 South Carolina have developed viable pro- 

 duction systems. 



Production of disease-free broodstock and 

 post larvae may be an important new market 

 for the U.S. shrimp industry. Many major 

 producing countries have had problems with 

 disease outbreaks. The use of certified dis- 

 ease-free shrimp could increase production 

 efficiency through improved feed conversion 

 rates and lowered mortality. 



Tilapia . Production of tilapia in the United 

 States has continued to grow, reaching ap- 

 proximately nine million pounds (live- 

 weight) in 1992, according to the American 

 Tilapia Growers Association. Its history as a 

 food fish dates back to around 2,000 BC. 

 Tilapia has been grown commercially in 

 Africa and Asia for local consumption. In 

 1991, more than nine million pounds of 

 tilapia were imported into the United States 

 through southern California. 



Since tilapia culture requires warm water, 

 outdoor production in the United States is 



