There use to be so many oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries that the oysters could filter the bay in 5 days. I have heard as few as 3 days. I can remember standing on long piers as a boy that went out into the Potomac River. The water was probably 8 feet deep and I could see the bottom. If someone threw a coin in the water we could dive in and find it. I really believe a lot of that was due to the fact that there use to be so many oysters in the bay and rivers. Over the years 2 diseases have hurt the native oyster population. Annual harvest is in the thousands instead of millions. It is my understanding that a non-native oyster (Asian species) is not affected by these 2 diseases. Currently this oyster has been introduced to the bay but it has been neutered so it will not reproduce. The oyster grows at a rate that is much higher than that of the native oyster. I personally feel as though this oyster should be introduced and allowed to spawn.