APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
additional labor during peak working periods. Some pro- 
cessors own oyster farms and employ people yearround. 
Figures are not available on employment in processing and 
wholesaling. 
Recreational fishing 
On the Atlantic and Pacific coasts the recreational 
catch is small and does not have a large effect on the 
commercial oyster fishery. 
In the Gulf States conflicts between recreational and 
commercial fishermen are expected, due to increased recrea- 
tional fishing as oyster prices and population pressures 
increase. 
Management controls 
Oyster resources are located inside the 3-mile ter- 
ritorial limit and thus are managed by the States. Consid- 
erable variation exists among the States, but generally, 
regulations cover minimum shell size at harvest, harvesting 
methods, seasons, and leasing of private beds. Improvement 
of oyster beds, through repletion programs, is also a 
concern of management. To survive, oysters need a clean 
hard surface, such as old shells, to which they can bécome 
attached; some shells are planted in the growing areas. In 
areas where natural reproduction is insufficient or does 
not occur, seed oysters are planted. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability 
Resource availability can be increased by improvement 
of oyster grounds, seed hatcheries, and aquaculture tech- 
niques. It is affected by a combination of natural factors, 
such as Salinity changes and diseases; and man-induced 
changes, such as overexploitation, and bacterial and indus- 
eiealauil GooiIkbEsloin 
Biologists in Maryland and Virginia estimate that 
resource availability in the Chesapeake Bay can be increased 
up to 10 times the current level if adequate investments 
are made to enhance potentially productive areas. 
According to a 1973 study, Apalachicola Bay, which 
accounts for more than 80 percent of the Florida landings, 
contains about 46,000 acres suitable for growing oysters. 
However, commercially harvested acreage only amounts to 
WS) 
