192 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



areas, if stockiDg to obtain a commercial crop is not practicable, is 

 worth trj'ing. 



Protection of the scallop from its natural enemies is a difficult 

 matter. Starfish can be caught on oyster beds or on bare or shell}" 

 bottom with a "" star mop " or " tangle," but not on a scallop bed 

 unless the vegetation is scarce. The only Imown really effective 

 method of fighting the drill is to clean the bottom, taking up drills 

 and all. culling out and replanting shellfish of value, and letting the 

 rest remain on the shore till all the drills are dead. This, again, is 

 generally impracticable Avith scallops. Of course, if scallop culture 

 ever becomes as highly developed as northern or Old World oyster 

 culture, the situation will be changed greatly and these or other 

 means of fighting the enemies may be found to be applicable. Scal- 

 lops on shallow flats might i-eceive some protection from the occa- 

 sional shooting of herring gulls, but this enemy is protected by the 

 migratory bird act. HapjDily, the harm done by all these enemies 

 is moderate. 



Destructive agencies other than enemies are freshets and severe 

 cold. Wastes, particularly industrial wastes, in some places very 

 destructive to shellfish, are not a menace to scallops in North Caro- 

 lina. In the future, this condition may be altered and the need for 

 protective measures may arise. If the danger from severe cold were 

 sufficiently serious some economic protection might be obtained by 

 first taking scallops from shallow Avater or flats exposed at low tide. 

 Transfer of scallops from such areas to deeper waters is not practi- 

 cable under present conditions. Protection from freshets could be 

 had only by i^roviding some sort of dam across estuaries, etc. (which is 

 not practicable), and by improving channels, cutting additional 

 inlets, or enlarging present ones (Avhich could giA'e only a measure 

 of relief). 



The principal deterrent to private scallop culture seems to be the 

 fear of loss from extensive migration. Because they possess the 

 ability to swim, it can not be said positiA^ely that scallops will not, 

 under some circumstances, make extensive migrations. It can only 

 be stated that in the region studied scallops habitually shift little 

 after their first groAvth period, and that, consequently, moA'ement 

 from a suitable area is not to be expected. One difficulty encoun- 

 tered is the briefness of the period that scallops Avill surviA^e out of 

 water. It Avould be necessary to shift " seed " quickly and in neither 

 too cold nor too hot weather. The shortness of their life offers 

 special hazards, jjarticularly if one depended upon reproduction by 

 Jiis private stock. Another danger is the loss of small scallops from 

 the shifting of eelgrass, particularly in autumn. Probably the 

 greatest danger from natural causes is from freshets. 



In addition to these inherent difficulties are those of law or custom. 

 Presumably, areas that even occasionally produce scallops in paying 

 quantities could not be set aside permanently for private use. There 

 would seem, howeA^er, to be no reason why an area bare of scallops 

 should not be leased on an anmial basis until the immediate region 

 in which it lies again produces naturally. Danger of loss from in- 

 roads of scallops, especially in areas near public beds or centers of 

 population, must be considered. 



