1810 



Tiller, R. E. 1950. 



The hard clam fishery of the Atlantic coast. Ann. Conf . , Clam Investigations, 

 Boothbay Harbor, Me. U.S. Dept. Interior, Fish Wildl. Serv.: 21-22. 



Coastal waters from Maine to Fla. Generally decrease in abundance in 

 southern part of range. No other information. - J.L.M. 



1811 



Tiller, Richard E. , John B. Glude,and Louis D. Stringer. 1952. 



Hard-clam fishery of the Atlantic coast. Coram. Fish. Rev. 14(10): 1-25. 



Information was obtained from personal interviews during 1949 to 1951 with 

 claramers, dealers, and state conservation personnel in all Atlantic coast 

 states and from official catch statistics. This was preliminary to planning 

 and establishing a clam research program authorized by Congress in 1948. 

 From 1931 to 1948 total landings of hard clam trended upward to a level 

 above previous peak years, but annual production and value were small 

 compared with other shellfish resources. Hard clams occur in nearly every 

 sheltered bay, cove, or inlet along the entire coast, but the fishery is 

 centered in southern New England and the middle Atlantic states. In 1944-48 

 N.Y., N. J. , R.I.,and Mass. produced 85% of the total catch. Gears used are 

 short-handled hoes and rakes in very shallow water, forks and picks in 

 southern states, long-handled rakes and tongs in deeper water. In very deep 

 water sectional wooden handles or stales are fitted to rake heads, making 

 the handles over 50 ft long at times-, although 36 ft is usually the maximum. 

 Dredges are more varied in design than other clam gears. Conservation laws 

 in various states regulate the design of dredges and specify where and when 

 they may operate. For the coast as a whole tongs take the largest part of 

 the catch (65% in 1944-48). Some states specify a minimum size limit, others 

 do not. Gear and season limits are tabulated by states. In some states the 

 towns, rather than the states, make and enforce regulations. Hard clams are 

 graded by size. The smallest group, littlenecks, commands the highest price. 

 In Maine commercial clam fishing is limited to a small area in upper Casco 

 Bay. Hoes were the principal gear. Nearly all digging was in the intertidal 

 zone. The fishery was very small. It was concluded that the fishery was not 

 likely to expand. In Mass. most of the hard-clam fishery was along the south 

 shore of Cape Cod, and around Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth 

 Islands. Rakes were the most important gear, but dredges were permitted in 

 deeper offshore waters. The fishery is regulated by individual townships. 

 The resource was not in good condition, from overharvesting and setting 

 failures. Historic fluctuations in the catch may have been caused by 

 variations in recruitment and heavy pressure on littlenecks, the smallest 

 and most valuable legal sizes. Some grounds were closed by pollution. Demand 

 exceeded supply and some dealers were importing clams from R.I. It was 

 concluded that the resource was being fully utilized. In R.I. hard clams were 

 restricted to the upper part of Narragansett Bay, and were rarely found in 

 commercial quantities deeper than 25 ft. Bull rakes and tongs were the most 

 important gears. Dredging is permitted in only one area, from 1 Dec to 31 Mar. 

 The resource was judged to be in good condition and the industry was prosperous. 

 Work was under way in the Fish and Wildlife Service to measure the effects of 

 harvesting on the resource and to estimate the allowable catch. No results 

 were reported. There was concern about out-of-state shipment of under size 

 clams. The dredge fishery, which once supported a fleet of about 40 boats, now 

 has only 5, because that segment of the resource has been overharvested. It 

 was believed that this fishery would not survive unless more grounds were 

 opened to dredging. Pollution was a problem in some areas, but was not 

 considered serious. The industry did not report problems with predators. In 

 Conn, there is almost no sheltered water, and hard-clam production is limited 

 to Fairfield County, where shelter is provided by Long Island, and a few coves 

 near New London and Mystic. Tongs and rakes are the most important gears. 

 Clam digging is not a full-time occupation in Conn. , and the industry is of 

 minor importance. Commercial oyster growers sell the clams they bring up 

 with oysters, but do not conduct a directed clam fishery. Clam farming might 

 be possible, but the prevailing view was that scarcity of seed would be a 

 problem. Most of the hard-clam fishery in New York is in the sheltered bays 



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