The Feasibility of Marketing Maine Raised Oysters

Extract

At the present time the value of oyster production in Maine is minimal because the native species, Crassostrea virginica, will not survive in economic numbers, through the larval stage in Maine's cold waters. There is some indication that Ostrea edulis (the European oyster) can withstand colder temperatures and may in fact thrive in Maine's cold waters, offering an alternative for coastal economic growth. This species is raised on a scale and under continuous culture from juvenile to marketable size in other parts of the world. These factors all favor the establishment of a fishery for Ostrea edulis in Maine by adapting the proven hatchery, rearing, and mariculture techniques for this species to Maine's cold water environment. As other scientists began looking into the biological and engineering aspects of raising oysters in Maine it became necessary to consider the marketing aspects of such a venture.