This will make your day!

[mariner]

http://www.serconline.org/biodiversity/fact.html

[Crabslayer]

I am a proponent of commercial fisheries since I was one myself but that doesn't mean they don't overharvest.  I think it all comes down to proper management.  I remeber as a kid on the eastern shore the mounds of oyster shells.  People used to use them for driveways.  My aunts and uncles also told me how they were used for backfill in the Canton area of Baltimore to create land where land didn't exist.  

[jack1747]

IMHO, MSX and Dermo did more damage than all the harvesting put together.  

[Crabslayer]

IMHO, MSX and Dermo did more damage than all the harvesting put together.  

Don't disagree Jack, but what I'm asking myself is, beacuase of the depleated filters did this open the door for the diseases to take hold?

[procrabber]

http://www.serconline.org/biodiversity/fact.html

Thanks for the post mariner.
but i must firmly disagree with most of the statements made.

im about to go apes*#t!!!   I cant stand these reports!  they have NO SCIENTIFIC MERIT!!!  they try to look like this is a well refernced article, but when you look at the references, they are based on propaganda reports by the sierra club and the sorts.  fisheries scientists have only a vague idea of what influences populations.  in a good hearted attempt to find the underlying cause, most fisheries scientists and ecologists make poorly supported statements about potential causes.  they usually cite numerous factors including polution, overfishing, disease, and predation. the tree huggers choose to overspeculate about polution and overfishing as the main cause. at least the scientists are making an attempt to find the true rot of the problem rather than making a big stink about one or two aspects of a broad picture.  as a scientist myself, i am able to see through the mistruths based on vague scientific information to begin with.  

as far as filter feders in the bay goes, there is no evidence that these cycles of low oyster populations are NOT a regular occurence. think of the cicadas that come out once every 17 years. that way birds cant prey on them each year, which would increase the bird population too high. maybe this is the overall strategy of the oysters as well. lower your population of a good 30 years and the natural predators will disappear. i dont think this is a likely possibility, but it still must be considered.
point being, we dont know enough to jump on the propaganda presented in that website

[Joe Crabs]

You are right procrabber there are alot of reasons that are contributing factors and collectively causing problems. But alot of these issues are pure common sense. And that is the problem some paid official wants to wait for a Scientist to tell them what the problem is. He wants an analysis done to determine what is on his shoe after someone just pssd on it before he acknowledges what it is. And I am not looking to put you out of a job, but I don't need to call a weatherman either to tell me if it is going to rain when I see thunder and lightning and dark clouds in the distance. And while scientists are going through their theories things are dying and getting worse. The water has pollution in it doesn't it. Do you think the waters are getting better. Now maybe you need a biologist to determine what the pollution is to determine the exact cause and try to stop it ( and in this case you don't), but I don't have to wait for a scientist to complete his analysis and theories to know pollution is killing species and harming the environment. It is not a GOOD Thing right, you do conclude it is happening or you haven't completed your analysis yet to agree there is pollution? . And I don't have to be a mathematician to figure out more things are dying and if you don't take less that the populations will get smaller. Yes nature does run in cycles but unfortunately we have a way of screwing that up don't we. And as a scientist you should know that most of all, but then you don't think more people taking more smaller crabs will have a reducing affect on the population.  I would like to see how you get to that number in a mathematical or Scientific equation??? Your work can be very valuable, but sometimes you guys do a great job screwing things up while you are waiting to perform your analysis when the obvious is right in front of you. Sometimes it is already too late by the time you come to your conclusions. And sometimes you guys drive us apes!!t.
Just my opinoin ProC respectfully.

[jack1747]

From the lab at the end of the pier, my research show consitently that very few oysters that I keep live past 3 years.  Healthy oysters moved from the upper bay die within 2 years in my cages.  While a percentage of spat do survive and remain healthy.  This leads me to conculded that the oysters that past on die from disease.  Some are resistant to the diseases.  However, this year all my oysters were killed within a week of Charley dropping tons of rain on us.   This makes it hard to convince this old geezzer that they were not killed by polution.

[Joe Crabs]

Jack, you guys live on the water and see it every day. You live and see the changes. Obviously research is good and necessary but you don't need long studies to wait to do something when it's plain in your face.