548 



Engle, James B. 1970. 



Oyster and clam management. In A Century of Fisheries in North America. 

 Norman G. Benson (ed) . Am. Fish. Soc, Washington, D.C., Spec. Pub. 

 7: 263-276. 



Hard clam is second in economic importance and pounds of meat produced 

 (presumably as compared with all clam production in the United States) . 

 Range is from Canada to Mexico, but most commercial production is from 

 N.Y., N.J., and Del. Commercial production in 1966 was 15.3 million 

 pounds (meats), 21% of U.S. clam production by weight. This is still 

 mainly a "wild fishery" with minimal management. Commercial categories 

 of hard clam are described. Several commercial companies produce seed in 

 hatcheries. Small littlenecks (Pennsylvania nicks) average 1,500 count/bu, 

 and average 46 mm long (40-48 mm); New York littlenecks 1,200/bu, average 

 56 mm long (52-60 mm); large littlenecks, small cherrystones, cherrystones, 

 large cherrystones, and medium chowders overlap in count and size; large 

 littlenecks average 1,000 count and average 68 mm long (61-72 mm); large 

 cherrystones 800 count, 77 mm (72-82 mm); medium chowders 500 count, 88 mm 

 (83-92 mm); and large chowders 300 count, 97 mm (91-109 mm). Recently 

 introduced hydraulic escalator dredge harvests hard clam efficiently with 

 surprisingly little damage. Other gears are hand tools, scrape dredges, 

 hand tongs, and rakes. Regulations from Maine to Florida are summarized 

 in a table. Minimum legal size varied considerably between states, and 

 some had no minimum size limit. Gears were variously regulated, or not at 

 all. Closed seasons varied from none to various arrangements. Full 

 potential yield is often prevented by inadequate management. Many 

 regulations have political and sociological bases. Scientific research 

 must be the foundation upon which intelligent management is based. Results 

 must be communicated to management and industry. - J.L.M. 



549 



Environmental Protection Agency. 1971. 



Report on the water quality of Long Island Sound. EPA, Water Quality Off., 

 NE Region, CWT 10-29, ix + 38 p. and appendices. 



New York waters of Long Island Sound contain 433,000 acres, of which over 

 100,000 are suitable for shellfish. Approximately 61,000 acres, including 

 producing and non-producing bottoms, are closed to shellf ishing . Connecticut 

 has 83,000 acres of shellfish growing areas, about 15,000 of them closed to 

 shellf ishing (as of 1966 Pub. Health Serv. Natl. Register of Shellfish 

 Growing Areas) . Conn. Shellfish Commission administers about 57,000 acres 

 of franchised, leased, and public shellfish grounds. Closed areas in N.Y. 

 were: all of Long Island Sound west of a line between Byram R. on the north 

 and Prospect Pt . on the south, including the entire Westchester County 

 shoreline. East R. , Little Neck B., and Manhasset B . ; Hempstead Har; vicinity 

 of Matinicock Pt; part of Oyster B. Har; part of Cold Spring Har; part of 

 Huntington Har; part of Centerport Har; part of Northport Har; Nissequogue 

 R; part of Port Jefferson Har; an area off Northville, where there is an oil 

 unloading facility; vicinity of Mattituck In; vicinity of Inlet Pt. 

 (Greenport sewer outfall) ; and vicinity of west end of Fishers Is. In N.Y. 

 hard clams were harvested from closed beds of Westchester and Nassau Counties 

 for transplantation to open waters along the south shore of Long Island. 

 Long Island Oyster Farms Inc. constructed a hatchery at Northport at a cost 

 of nearly $1 million. Appendix C. contains a copy of a letter from L.I. 

 Oyster Farms and State of Conn. Shell Fish Commission, regarding economic 

 losses to the shellfish industry caused by water pollution. Today (11 Feb 

 1971) shellfish grounds consist of about 64,000 acres, 46,000 under State 

 control, 13,000 controlled by towns. These include 42,000 acres of oyster 

 ground, 20,000 acres clam ground, and 2,000 acres scallops, in general 

 located from Greenwich to Branford. From Branford to Stonington it was 

 largely a sport shellf ishery, although some commercial grounds were in this 

 area. Total product value, commercial and sport, was estimated to be $2.5 

 million. About 35% of all shellfish grounds in Conn, were closed by 

 pollution. Artificial spawning of oysters and clams is being done on Long 

 Island. The letter gives descriptions of areas polluted and makes certain 

 recommendations. - from notes made from an interlibrary loan copy of the 

 report obtained from N.Y. State Library, Albany - J.L.M. 



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