ard clams are valued for their mild flavor and tender texture. 



bought more clams as a result, 

 whether it had any influence on their 

 decision to return to the Outer Banks 

 and how it compared to other vacation 

 activities. They'll also be asked 

 whether they raked clams for the 

 experience or just for the seafood. 



"There's a lot of interest nation- 

 ally in ecotourism or nature-based 

 tourism," Murray says. "The surveys 

 will give a better handle on who the 

 market is for this type of service. And 

 it will add to the growing body of 

 literature on understanding a nature- 

 based tourism market." m 



"Aquaculture in North Carolina. 

 Clams: Inputs, Outputs and Econom- 

 ics" was a significant source of 

 information for this article. It was 

 prepared by Rebecca Dunning of the 

 N.C. Department of Agriculture. 



EXTENDING THE ENTERPRISE 

 TO EAST COAST GROWERS 



After testing the rake-your- 

 own market during the 1996 

 tourist season, Sea Grant will 

 publish a manual on how to start 

 a recreational clamming busi- 

 ness. The Agricultural Commu- 

 nications Department at N.C. 

 State University will produce a 

 10- to 12-minute video explain- 

 ing the more intensive informa- 

 tion in the manual. And Sea 

 Grant agents will share the 

 information through East Coast 

 training workshops and regional 

 and national conferences about 



shellfish and nature-based 

 tourism. 



Meanwhile, Harrison Bresee 

 is writing his zoology master's 

 thesis on the project. He is 

 examining the biological ques- 

 tions that other clam growers will 

 want answered before trying a 

 rake-your-own enterprise on their 

 leases. How do the clams survive 

 on these leases? What are the 

 growth rates, harvest rates and 

 mortality rates? How long does it 

 take stocked clams to dig into the 

 sand, and how deep do they dig? □ 



COASTWATCH 



9 



