A Guide for Enhancing Estuarine Molluscan Shellfisheries

In the eastern United States as well as in many countries where most shellfish originate in public beds, shellfishermen, local communities, distributors, and consumers have been dependent on wild stocks for shellfish supplies. Abundance of shellfish is usually much lower than the carrying capacity of the beds and can fluctuate widely among seasons. Thus shellfisheries are built upon a relatively weak foundation: Uncertin supplies, abundance of which is governed by several natural factors.