APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
tonging. No dredging is permitted in public areas. A license 
is required for commercial harvesting. Relaying programs are 
also used as a type of management control. A relaying pro- 
gram consists of moving clams from condemned waters to clean 
water where the clams can purify themselves before being 
harvested and marketed. Another management control is the 
leasing of bay bottoms for shellfish culture. However, only 
naturally unproductive areas are leased which leaves the pro- 
ductive areas available to the public. 
In Maine, the soft clam fishery is regulated by the State and 
local governments. A license is required for commercial har- 
vesting and seasons, if necessary, vary by area and local 
conditions. Mechanical gear, such as dredges, are generally 
prohibited. In Maryland, dredges are permitted and are the 
only gear used in subtidal areas. 
The States regulate and manage the clam fisheries of the 
Pacific coast. For example, in Washington, clam-farming 
licenses are issued which allow private individuals to cul- 
tivate and harvest privately owned or leased clam beds. In 
some areas, the State leases clam beds to private individuals 
for harvest of the natural production. 
Management of clams is also affected by the National 
Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP), a cooperative agreement 
administered by the member shellfish-producing States, the 
Food and Drug Administration, and the Shellfish industry to 
provide satisfactory public health protection to consumers 
of shellfish. Most States have enacted laws that restrict the 
importation of fresh and frozen clam products except from 
those States that are members of NSSP and from certified 
interstate shippers from within those States. The canned, 
heat-retorted clam products can be shipped interstate with- 
out NSSP membership. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 
Resource availability 
The availability of clam resources shows a potential for 
substantially increased production of some species, particu- 
larly from underutilized ones. For the surf clam, however, 
landings in recent years have exceeded the estimated maximum 
Sustainable yield (MSY). In a 1976 analysis of the fishery, 
NMFS estimated the surf clam MSY at about 70 million pounds. 
Landings in 1973, 1974, and 1975 have exceeded this level. 
The highest annual landings total was made in 1974 when 96 
million pounds were recorded. NMFS officials believe that 
1976 landings should be reduced to below the level of about 
35) 
