i*4 



that found at the maximum. The nature of the information on which these con- 

 clusions were based does not permit quantitative comparison of the population 

 density at the several maxima. 



It was suggested, though also not subject to proof, that the fluctuations in 

 starfish abundance coincided throughout the whole New England area. Since control 



efforts have been carried on by the oystermen 

 throughout the period studied, it is of course 

 impossible to separate their influence from that 

 of natural factors . This is emphasized by the 

 fact that most of the information comes from sources 

 directly influenced by the reports of oystermen 

 on starfish abundance, namely, trade journals and 

 newspapers . 



Actually, for present purposes, it does not 

 matter whether the fluctuation is man-made or 

 from natural causes. The critical fact is that 

 enormous variations in abundance do occur. One 

 company encountered a range from 5 to 650 tons 

 per year in its estimated catch of starfish. The 

 supply of raw material from a fishery of this type 

 does not permit the economical operation of a meal 

 drying plant. 



STARFISH ABOUT 1 MONTH OLD 



A rough estimate of the cost of starfish taken by the seed oyster companies 

 may be made based on average costs of $50 per day to operate a vessel taking 8 

 bushels of starfish weighing approximately 500 pounds. A ton of raw starfish would 

 cost $200, which is equivalent to a cost of $1,000 for raw material to produce a 

 ton of meal. This figure probably would be at least doubled if the starfish were 

 hand-picked. The drying plant, on the other hand, could not pay more than $3 to 

 $4 per ton for raw material. 



The establishment of a separate fishery for starfish comes somewhat nearer 

 to the border of economic feasibility. A bounty was paid on starfish landed in 

 Massachusetts from 1932 to 1936 (Barnes, 1946) and in Rhode Island in 1941 (Gibbs, 

 1941 and 1946). There was also one commercial plant at Mobjack Bay, Va., which 

 made starfish meal for a short period in 1935-36 when starfish invaded the lower 

 Chesapeake Bay. From these sources, an estimate of the cost of a separate fishery 

 for starfish may be made. The starfish dredged from Chesapeake Bay were estimated 

 by Burkenroad to have cost the Virginia meal plant from $2.50 to $4.00 per ton. 

 Bounty payments have ranged from $10.00 to $15.00 per ton, the price being in- 

 creased as the abundance of starfish decreased. Bounty payments were limited to 

 starfish taken from small skiffs with hand dredges. With an organized fishery 

 using much larger, powered fishing craft, costs could undoubtedly be reduced below 

 these figures. However, with the high operating costs of the postwar period, it 

 would be difficult even in periods of maximum abundance to land starfish at a 

 drying plant for as little as $5.00 per ton. Over a period of years, the pre- 

 viously discussed uncertainty of supply would make the average cost of raw star- 

 fish several times this figure, or a far greater cost per ton of dry meal than 

 its retail value. 



MEAL PRODUCTION COSTS 



A suggestion of possible merit would be the construction of a meal plant 

 designed for processing starfish during periods of maxi mum abundance with the use 





