person who is interested in the seafood production of our State will
give it his wholehearted support. For the seafood industry is indeed
one of the most important industries of our State, affecting in par-
ticular the economy of this area. Fish, crabs, clams, and oysters of
the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries and the other tidal waters produce
an annual income in excess of $13 million to the more than 9, 000
fishermen and the some 4, 000 persons engaged in the seafood process-
ing industries.

All of you, I know, are familiar with the State's main effort during
the past four years to halt the decline of the oyster yield. Using hy-
draulically dredged reef shells, approximately 22, 000, 000 bushels of
cultch have been planted on the natural bars and in areas set aside
for the production of seed oysters. The Department of Tidewater
Fisheries advises me that this year 932, 000 bushels of high-quality
seed were transplanted, where they eventually will provide an addi-
tional income to watermen amounting to many millions of dollars.
The significance of this figure becomes apparent when compared with
the transplanting of a decade ago. In 1951-1952, for example, only
65, 000 bushels were planted. The 932, 000 bushels transplanted this
year is 50 per cent higher than that of any previous year. The fall
oyster survey of numerous shell plantings indicate the heaviest settings
of any year, the Department of Tidewater Fisheries advises me. In
a recent survey of plantings made in I960, 1961 and 1962 in the
Kedges Straits demonstration area, comprising some half-million
bushels, I am told that there is an average of from 800 to 1200 spat
and small oysters per bushel.

The future of the shell dredging program looks bright indeed. In
a recent survey of the upper Bay area, there has been located 40 mil-
lion cubic yards of shells. This, I am told, is enough oyster shells
to operate our seed producing program for the next 60 years.

Although our principal effort is in the rehabilitation of the oyster
production, the State is interested in increasing the yield of all other
seafood products. The development of the soft-shell clam fishery dur-
ing the past few years is one of the dramatic episodes in the history
of the Maryland seafood industry. Maryland is now producing more
than 60 per rent of the entire catch of clams in the United States.
This year, I am told there was a record catch of 600, 000 bushels, as
compared with 520, 000 bushels last year. This is an increase of 13 to
14 per cent. The State Department of Tidewater Fisheries has care-
fully delineated and protected the spawning areas for rockfish. We