oyster mortality is also decimating stocks in 

 the rich Chesapeake Bay area, causing severe 

 economic loss. 



Because of its inshore habitat and at- 

 tendant susceptibility to natural and human 

 influences, the oyster is threatened by increas- 

 ingly heavy mortalities. Sharp decreases in 

 production have increased costs to a point 

 where market demand is affected. Foreign 

 competition and high labor costs present 



challenges for the future. However, research 

 on diseases, experiments in predator control, 

 introduction of foreign species, and labora- 

 tory successes in artificial propagation give 

 reason for an optimistic view to the future. 

 Continuing efforts of both Federal and State 

 research facilities are needed to solve the 

 many problems that now threaten this in- 

 dustry. 



THE SEA SCALLOP FISHERY 



In comparison with other marine prod- 

 ucts, sea scallops rank quite low in terms of 

 actual pounds landed, but the price-per- 

 pound ranks high in relation to other species. 

 The principal landings of sea scallops are at 

 the port of New Bedford, Mass. Landings 

 for i960 approximated 26 million pounds of 

 meat valued at about $10 million. 



The sea scallop is found on the offshore 

 areas from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, although many local populations 

 are found along the shore areas in depths 

 of about 10 fathoms or more. The offshore 

 fishery, however, accounts for the bulk of 

 the production, with the most productive 

 and consistent supply coming from famed 

 Georges Bank. 



The vessels used in the year-round scal- 

 lop fishery are 60 to 70 feet long and weigh 

 30 to 70 gross tons. Construction is nearly 

 identical to that of a medium-sized otter 

 trawl dragger. Much of the bottom where 

 the scallops are found is covered with boul- 

 ders; therefore, very rugged gear is required. 



Harvesting is accomplished with specially 

 designed dredges which are basically beam 

 trawls with metal rings instead of twine 

 for meshes. Two dredges are normally towed 

 simultaneously. Present vessels and gear ap- 

 pear to be adequate for harvesting the known 

 scallop resource. 



For the most part, sea scallops are proc- 

 essed in New Bedford, Mass. They are 

 frozen-processed in two ways; some are 

 simply frozen, and others first breaded and/ 

 or cooked. 



The scallop industry, generally, has been 

 favored economically. The resource has fluc- 

 tuated little, and the demand for the product 

 has been good. Within recent years, however, 

 imports, primarily from Canada and Japan, 

 have increased and sea scallop prices have 

 declined. A further adverse development is 

 that foreign fleets are now competing for 

 space on the fishing grounds. The need for 

 development of methods of preserving stocks 

 in the face of this increased fishing pressure 

 is becoming more important. 



THE CLAM FISHERY 



There are three species of clams of com- 

 mercial importance in the Region: the soft- 

 shell clam, hard clam, and surf clam. Pro- 



duction of soft-shell clams in I960, harvested 

 primarily in the waters of northern New 

 England and Chesapeake Bay, amounted to 



11 



