The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1960-09-30
ICONSERVATIONISTS
| SAY DAMAGE TO
OYSTERS NOT MUCH
Dredging Expected to Begin Oct.
|; Estimates Based on Incom-
plete Surveys
BY WADE LUCAS

MOREHEAD CITY.-North Car
olina oystermen-and there are
plenty of them-are getting set fol
the opening October 1 of what may
be the best oyster season in the
State since 1947.
But on the eve of the opening
of the oyster season, which closes
next March /, there is some ques-
ton as to how much damage the
late but unlamented Hurricane
Donna caused in her recent sweep
over much of the oyster-producing
areas along the coast.
C. G. Holland, State fisheries
commissioner and head of the De-
partment of Conservation and De-
veloment's commercial fisheries di-
vision, and DR.. A. F. Chestnut,
director, Institute of Fisheries Re-
search, and their staffs this week
surveyed some of the oyster-pro-
ducing areas in an effort to de
termine what if any damage the
recent hurricane caused.
DR.. Chestnut said some damage
apparently was done, but he did
not think it was extensive. Nor did
he think it was NEARLY as bad"
as that caused by Hurricane Hazel
in 1854 when oyster mortality was
so great that it almost wiped out
the crop of growing oysters.
Quality of the oysters we found
in our survey in waters of Pam
lico and Caretret counties was very
good" DR.. Chestnut said. "Oysters
generally appeared to be in good
condition"
Commissioner Holland said that
"as far as We have been able to
ascertain" the hurricane did not
appear to have damaged the cur
rent oyster crop to any great ex-
tent.
Bad weather along the coast has
prevented Holland and his staff
from making a comprehensive type
of survey thus far, but the COM
missioner hopes and believes the
1860 catch Of oysters in North
Carolina-controlIed waters will be
the best since f947 unless Hurri-
cane Donna did more damage than
has been ascertained thus far and
provided no future hurricanes or
bad storms hit the somewhat de-
fenseless oysters.
And oysters, it might be said, are
defenseless against hur-
ricanes and bad storms whose
winds cause water 10 churn SO vio-
lently that sand and mud cover the
stationary oysters, causing many
of them to smother to death as so
many Of them did after the hur-
ricanes of 1854 and 1865.
Unlike other marine life, oysters
stay in beds provided for
them by Mother Nature or by man
once they become attached to shells
and start growing. They do not
move about like shrimp, hard crabs,
and some other species of she'll
fish.
1t takes about three years for
an oyster to reach the marketable
stage. Under State law no oysters
whose shells measure less than
three inches in longest diameter
can be taken and marketed. Holland
said the oyster Gull law will be
strictly enforced during the coming
season.
State Gives Aid
North Carolina through its De-
partment of Conservation and De-
velopment has been engaged in an
oyster rehabilitation program since
1947 when the General Assembly,
acting at the request of the then
Gov. r. Gregg Cherrya enacted
what is known as the Oyster Re
Act.
Under this program used oyster
shells and seed oysters are planted
annually in waters where oysters