20 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



of Bandon, at the mouth of the river, and elsewhere on rocky points 

 and headlands. 



Many of the sections of this portion of the coast are isolated 

 and sparsely settled and, althouo^h the mussels are used to some 

 extent locally, little economic value can be ascribed to the mollus- 

 can shellfish on the Oregon coast south of Coos Bay. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 



1. Certain regions of the northwest coast are abundantly stocked 

 with shellfish, some species of which have been widely recognized 

 as excellent human food. Others, however, such as the sea mussels, 

 have not yet gained that same recognition, and there remains to be 

 devised in the future some plan or method to convert this vast quan- 

 tity of sea product into economic usefulness. 



2. The isolation of certain regions producing shellfish, especially 

 in the coastal zone of the State of Oregon, and the lack of high- 

 ways paralleling the coast or other means of transportation render- 

 ing sources of shellfish accessible has, in some places, proved a handi- 

 cap and in others a complete prohibition against the general use of 

 these sea-food products. 



3. Demonstration has proved that certain species of shellfish, how- 

 ever excellent food they may be when prepared immediately after 

 having been taken from the salt water, lack lasting qualities and, 

 therefore, are not adaptable to markets at any great distance from 

 the source of their supply. 



4. Other species as Mya arenaria, Saxidomus giganteus^ and 

 Paphya staminea have lasting qualities and may be kept, under 

 proper conditions, for many days in a fresh condition and marketed 

 several hundred miles from the coast with perfect safety to the 

 consumer. 



5. Species not adaptable, in a fresh condition, to markets other 

 than local should be prepared and consumed as soon as possible after 

 they have been taken from the salt water, or they should be pre- 

 served by canning, pickling, or other methods insuring the destruc- 

 tion of harmful bacteria and at the same time retaining something 

 of the qualities of the shellfish. 



6. In many of the regions of the Northwest where shellfish are 

 abundant the people are found to be very generally appreciative 

 of the bivalves as food, especially if markets or centers of distribu- 

 tion have been established where the product can be obtained without 

 too much effort. 



7. A certain amount of indifference, sometimes amounting to 

 antagonism, against the use of shellfish as food, was encountered in 

 some localities. This was met as tactfully as possible and by con- 

 versation, lecture, and sane publicity the aversion to these sea 

 products^ was in some measure dispelled. 



8. The apparent depletion of an excellent food mollusk, Saxidomus 

 giganteus^ is taking place in Netarts Bay. It may be advisable to 

 restrict or prohibit entirely the taking of this species for a number 

 of years. 



9. After the almost total disappearance of the razor clam from 

 the Oregon beaches south of Tillamook Head, it was gratifying in 

 1919 to learn of and to observe its reappearance in a number of 



