— 71 — 

 FISH AND GAME LAWS RELATING TO CLAMS 



C(>rtain of the more important edible species are protected by laws. 

 The aim of all these laws is, by limiting the time of digging or the 

 number of clams taken, to prevent the depletion of the supply and to 

 maintain a group of breeding animals that will insure a future supply. 

 If these laws are to accomplish their purpose, the Fish and Game Com- 

 mission must have the cooperation not only of the commercial digger 

 but also of the camper or local inhabitant. To this end the following 

 extracts from the current laws are here reprinted for general informa- 

 (ion. These cover all the species at present protected by law, but as it 

 is clear that any other forms would suffer eqimlly from wanton destruc- 

 tion or the taking of young, good sportsmanship and regard for the 

 connuon possession of the people of the state would demand that no 

 clams be dug that are not made use of and that the young be returned 

 to the beds. 



"Every person who gathers or takes in any manner or destroys or 

 has in his jDOssession any clam known as the Pismo clam {Tivela 

 siidtorum) which shall measure less than four and three-quarters 

 inches across its shell in the greatest breadth, or who, during any one 

 calendar day, takes, gathers in any manner or has in his possession 

 more than thirty-six of said clams, or who, between the first day of 

 May and the thirty-first day of August, both dates inclusive, of any 

 vQnr, takes, catches or gathers any clams in fish and game district 

 seventeen^ is guilty of a misdemeanor. 



"Every person who takes, gathers in any manner or has in his 

 possassion, or who ships, offers for shipment, sells or offers for sale 

 any cockles or little-neck clams {Tapes s^amimea)^ measuring less than 

 one and one-half inches in its greatest breadth ; every person who 

 takes, catches or gathers in any manner any razor clam (Siliqua 

 patula), except during a period of forty-eight hours beginning at the 

 first low tide after the first high tide (large water) of the full moon of 

 each month and for a period of forty-eight hours beginning at the 

 first mean low tide after the first high tide (large water) of the new 

 moon of each month, or Avho takes, catches or gathers in any way more 

 than fifty of said razor clams {Siliqjia patula) during any one calendar 

 day is guilty of a misdemeanor. 



"Every person who, during any one calendar day, takes, gathers in 

 any manner, or has in his possession, or who ships, offers for shipment, 

 sells or offers for sale, more than ten clams of the sjyeGies-ScMzothaerus 

 nuttalli, variously known as rublier-neck, big-neck or great \¥ashington 

 clam-', is guilty of a misdemeanor. 



"Every person who takes, catches or kills or has in possession any 

 clam or clams taken from fish and game districts eight or nine, between 

 the first day of May and the thirty-first day of August of any year, 

 both dates inclusive ; or who at any time ships or offers for shipment or 

 receives for shipment or transportation, to any place outside the 



'Monterey Bay. 



-Paphki staminea, the rock cockle. 



=Gaper. 



