Sounds good in theory.  On the other hand there are multiple examples of
introduced parasites wreaking havoc with local species.  Hopefully
introduction of Asian oysters won't mean introduction of Asian parasites.

Paul M.

> ----------
> From:         Conchologists List on behalf of John Wolff
> Reply To:     Conchologists List
> Sent:         Thursday, March 2, 2006 6:25 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Chesapeake oysters
>
> Below, an excerpt from today's New York Times
> http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/01/national/01oysters.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
>
> "For centuries, bountiful harvests sustained little towns around the bay.
> But these days the harvest of native oysters, decimated by disease,
> pollution and overfishing, is measured in tens of thousands of bushels a
> year, a tiny fraction of the 20 million bushels that were once taken.
>
> Now officials in Maryland and Virginia are considering a radical approach
> to saving the oyster fishery and, they say, perhaps the bay itself:
> introducing an Asian oyster that appears resistant to the two parasites
> that have killed off so many of its Chesapeake cousins. Indeed, the Asian
> oyster is one focus of a three-year study undertaken by federal agencies,
> working with state officials and scientists, on ways to revive the
> harvest.
>
> Those who want Asian oysters introduced in the bay say they grow bigger
> and faster and, yes, taste as good as the native variety. But more than
> that, proponents say, Asian oysters, like their Chesapeake counterparts,
> perform a natural filtering function critical to the bay's health."
>
>
> John Wolff
> Lancaster, PA
>

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