SHELLFISH RESOURCES OF NORTHWEST COAST. 15 



tion is necessary to determine with certainty the spawning season 

 or seasons of this species. 



The western oyster has existed in Netarts Bay for many years. 

 Its productivity here, however, has never been large. In 1918 the 

 supply was insufficient for local demands, and few, if any, oysters 

 reached outside markets from this source. The statutes of the State 

 define the limits of the natural and artificial beds of oysters in 

 Netarts Bay and the regulations governing the same, as in case of 

 the Yaquina River.* 



Salt-water crabs are very plentiful in Netarts Bay in certain sea- 

 sons of the year. The closed season, during which no crabs may be 

 shipped out of the county or canned, has been fixed by statute from 

 July 1 to September 30 of each year.^ During the open season 

 shipments of crabs are frequently made to outside markets and many 

 are consumed locally. 



The Tillamook region comprises Tillamook Bay to the north and 

 east of Netarts Bay. The most important clams of Tillamook Bay 

 are My a arenaria, which is inferior in size and quantity to the same 

 species in the Siuslaw River, and Cardimn corhis, which in 19*17 was 

 very plentiful opposite the town of Garabaldi on the north side of 

 the bay. The species grows to a very large size here, and during 

 1917 was the chief, although not the exclusive, bivalve used by the 

 clam cannery of Tillamook City. This clam cannery, the only one 

 on the Oregon coast, is owned and operated by E. J. Bowers. The 

 chief product of the cannery is minced clams put up in one-half and 

 one-pound cans. The output in a normal year is from 500 to 1,000 

 cases, each of forty-eight 1 -pound tins. A ready sale is found for 

 this minced clam product and it is widely distributed. The activity 

 of the cannery, however, is not constant, owing to the fact that 

 the supply of clams is very irregular, it being difficult to get fisher- 

 men to devote their time to clam digging when more money can be 

 made in the salmon boats. During the year of 1917 the cannery did 

 a very good business, but its activity was not so great during the 

 following year for the reason previously stated. 



THE CLATSOP COUNTY REGION. 



The northwestern coast of Oregon from Tillamook Head to the 

 Columbia River consists of a long stretch of sand beach nearly 14 

 miles in length. It is, however, only the southern extremity of 

 this beach that is of interest in connection with the shellfish resources 

 of the Northwest. The beaches opposite the towns of Seaside and 

 Gearheart, just north of Tillamook Head, are the principal sources 

 of the razor clam, Siliqua patula^ in Oregon. 



As mentioned in a previous section, the razor clam during a period 

 from 1913 to 1916 became almost totally extinct along the shores of 

 this State south of Tillamook Head. But whatever may have been 

 the cause or causes of the depletion to the south, no appreciable 

 effect was made upon the species north of this headland. 



Of all the species of clams on the Oregon coast the razor clam is 

 the only one protected by law, and this protection is made applicable 



< Orpgon Fish and Game Laws, 1919-20, sec. 194, p. 78. 

 •Oregon Pish and Game Laws, 1919-20, sec. 198, p. 79. 



80320°— 21 2 



