Cultural Practices and Production of the American Oyster, with Emphasis on the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

The native American Indians used the mollusk as a source of food and probably practiced some primitive culture. There is evidence they transplanted oysters from distant places to more convenient locations near their settlements. As oysters decreased in supply, most regions established laws and regulations for their conservation. Sometimes the laws were in conflict with those in adjacent areas. These regulations included minimum-size laws, prohibition of summer harvest, and restrictions against dredging oyster reefs to use the shells for industrial purposes. The abundance of natural recruitment and fast growth, both on the public beds and on cultch planted by the states and individuals, lessens the need for the cultivation practices used in areas where oyster farming is more difficult. In some instances dredges can be used on publicly controlled reefs. Predators and diseases occur throughout the habitat of oysters.