APPENDIX III APPENDIX IIT 
OYSTER 
Oyster fisheries are found on the Atlantic, gulf, 
and Pacific coasts of the United States. Three species of 
oysters are harvested commercially. The eastern oyster 
is harvested principally along the Atlantic and gulf coasts 
from Massachusetts to Texas and the Pacific and western 
oysters are harvested along the Pacific coast from Califor- 
nia to Alaska. 
Oysters are bivalve mollusks. They are sedentary, 
attaching themselves to clean, hard surfaces in bays and 
inlets. In some areas, oysters grow between tidal levels 
where they are exposed to the air during low tide. The 
oyster fishery is exclusively in the territorial sea within 
the States' jurisdiction. In the United States, about 40 
percent of oyster production comes from private aquaculture-- 
private industry growing aquatic animals for commercial 
purposes. 
STATUS OF THE FISHERY 
Current hares 
In the early 1900s Atlantic coast oyster production 
declined drastically due to overexploitation. Since about 
1935, production has decreased at a slower rate. Landings 
averaged about 50 million pounds per year in the 1950s and 
declined to an average of 28 million pounds per year in the 
1960s and 1970s (see table 1). A major reason for lower 
production during the last two decades was a severe oyster 
disease known as MSX. This disease killed large numbers of 
oysters in the higher salinity areas of the Middle Atlantic 
and Chesapeake Bay, particularly in Virginia, Delaware, and 
New Jersey. Environmental changes caused by floods and 
pollution and lower return on investments in oyster growing 
areas also contributed to the decline. 
In 1975 oyster landings along the Atlantic coast were 
26.6 million pounds valued at $25.1 million, accounting for 
about 50 percent of total U.S. oyster production. Landings 
from the Chesapeake Bay area (Maryland and Virginia) were 
21.5 million pounds, or 81 percent of Atlantic production. 
In 1972 about 70 percent of the Atlantic coast oyster land- 
ings, excluding Florida, were harvested from public beds, 
primarily in Maryland. Landings in most of the other Atlan- 
tic States were taken primarily from private beds. In 1973 
lohe latest data available was used in all cases. 
HSN 
