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QUEEN OF THE BAYS 



The Chesapeake Bay has been called the "queen" of the bays in 

 the U. S. because of its rich commercial and recreational resources. 

 The finfish and shellfish commercial harvest in 1966 was 600 million 

 pounds valued at $30,000,000. The annual income in Maryland from this 

 industry for 1971 was $65 million. Chesapeake Bay also serves an 

 important spawning and nursery area for migratory fish important 

 recreationally and commercially from Maine to North Carolina. 



The multi-uses»of this bay, including industrialization and 

 shipping (110 x 10 tons cargo annually), have led to a progressive 

 deterioration in water quality. The National Estuary Study (Volume 1) 

 characterizes the upper third (north from the Patuxent River) and the 

 lower third (James River estuary and region from Norfolk to Newport 

 News) as moderately to severely "modified" (i.e. polluted) through 

 anthropogenic sources, 50 percent is listed as moderately modified and 

 6 percent as severely polluted. This has closed off shellfish grounds 

 equivalent to 1.5 percent of the total area and resulted in loss of 

 production equal to at least $1 million annually. The combined effects 

 of deteriorating water quality, overfishing, and other factors have 

 contributed to a continuous decline in oyster harvest. The harvest of 

 20 x 10 lb. of oyster meats in 1966 compares with a production of 117 x 



10 6 lb. in 1880 - a 6-fold decrease! 



