1216 



McHugh, J. L. 1977. 



Limiting factors affecting commercial fisheries in the Middle Atlantic 

 estuarine area. In Estuarine Pollution Control and Assessment. Proceedings 

 of a Conference, Vol. 1. U.S. Envir. Prot. Agency, Off. Water Planning and 

 Standards, Washington, D .C : 149-169. 



From 1969 to 1973 in the coastal states R.I. to Del. inclusive, hard clam 

 landings remained relatively steady at an average annual weight of about 

 11.6 million pounds of meats. In the Chesapeake Bay states for the same 

 period average annual landings were about 1.9 million pounds of meats. In 

 the first region hard clam ranked 4th by weight of all species of fish and 

 shellfish in 1969, 5th in 1973. In the Chesapeake region rank by weight was 

 11th in 1969, 14th in 1973. By total value of landings hard clam ranked 

 higher, first place in the R.I. to Del. region in all 5 yrs from 1969 to 

 1973, and averaging 6th in the Chesapeake region. N.Y. is by far the 

 largest producer of hard clam. From 1929 to 1957 N.Y. and R.I. vied for 

 first place in volume of clam meats. Since 1957 production has been rising 

 in N.Y., falling in R.I. The decline in R.I. probably has been caused by 

 overharvesting and water pollution. The rise in N.Y. was caused by an 

 increase in abundance in N.Y. since the 1950s, especially in Great South 

 Bay, which now produces most of the hard clam harvest in N.Y. But despite 

 a steady increase in clamming effort in N.Y., total catch has remained 

 fairly steady for several years, and the resource may be overharvested. 

 Water pollution is a problem on N.Y. clam beds also. Some towns on Great 

 South Bay are developing management programs. Attempts are being made to 

 improve lav/ enforcement, gain an understanding of the dynamics of the 

 resource, and transplants are being made from closed waters to clean areas. 

 These efforts deserve encouragement and support. Almost 1/4 of shellfish 

 bottoms in N.Y. waters are closed to shellf ishing, and water pollution is a 

 problem for the industry and a threat to public health in all states. 

 Undoubtedly many factors affect distribution, abundance and availability 

 of hard clam, but the only ones identifiable with certainty are : transfer 

 of human pathogens, closure of certain beds, and occasional catastrophic 

 events, the effects of which are obvious. - J.L.M. 



1217 



McHugh, J. L. 197 8. 



Historic fish and shellfish landings and trends. In Fisheries. By J. L. 

 McHugh and Jay J. C. Ginter. MESA New York Bight Monograph 16, New York 

 Sea Grant Inst., Albany: 3-79. 



Illustrates commercial landings of hard clam meats in N.Y. and N.J. combined 

 since 1880, and compares individual landings in the two states with total 

 landings in the region Me. to N.Y. inclusive and N.J. to N.C. inclusive since 

 1960. This is the most valuable single fishery resource in the New York 

 Bight area in price paid to clammers. Landings in the two states combined 

 reached a low in the late 1920s, an all-time peak in 1947, another low in 

 the late 1950s and early 1960s, and have now apparently stabilized. Concern 

 about the future of the resource has been expressed because commercial per- 

 mits in N.Y. , the major producer, have about doubled since 1970, with no 

 apparent increase in total catch. Life history of hard clam is reviewed 

 briefly. - J.L.M. 



1218 



McHugh, John L. 1979. 



United States clam industry: Where is it going? In Proc. Northeast Clam 

 Industries: Management for the Future. Ext. Sea Grant Advisory Program, 

 U. Mass. and MIT Sea Grant Program, SP-112: 7-24. 



Hard clam (Mevaenaria mereenaria) reached maximum production in New England 

 in 1953 at about 7.2 million pounds of meats, and has continued to drop 

 since then. The mid-Atlantic region has dominated hard clam production, 

 with maximum landings of 13.6 million pounds of meats in 1950. Chesapeake 



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