Clams; Soft

Softshell clam (Steamer, Longneck, Belly clam, Fryer, Squirt clam),

In 2002 softshell clams were landed primarily in Maine (86%), where they were the second most valuable commercial species harvested in Maine; at approximately $14 million, the value was preceded only by American lobster landings. Despite fluctuations in landings, the value of softshell clams steadily increased from 1950 to 2002. Softshell clams inhabit intertidal mud flats, and though a small number of softshell clam landings are harvested with clam dredges (7%), the majority of softshell clams are harvested
with hand rakes or hoes. Softshell clam harvesters are commonly known as “diggers”. Commercial sized softshell clams generally burrow to as deep as 15 cm in the sediment. In Maine, the Department of Marine Resources Division of Shellfish Management is responsible for the management of softshell clams occurring in state waters. Shellfish management programs are established by individual municipalities. There is no federal Fisheries Management Plan for softshell clams, as they are harvested only from state waters.

Soft shell clams are inherently resilient to fishing pressure due to life history characteristics such as a low age at first maturity, low to moderate longevity, and high fecundity.

Softshell clams are primarily landed in Maine, where they are managed by individual towns; there is no statewide assessment of softshell clams in Maine. In Maine state waters, clam flat surveys are conducted by some individual municipalities to determine the status of the softshell
clam resource available for recreational and commercial fishermen. Data for one region, Scarborough, were available from 1998 to 2003. In Scarborough, the short-term trend in population abundance appears to be slightly decreasing. However, these data can not be extrapolated to other clam flats in Maine. There are currently insufficient data to
evaluate the status of the softshell clam stock in Maine state waters, and uncertainty is considered high, as there is little or no current fishery dependent or independent information on stock status.

There is little bycatch associated with both hand rakes and hydraulic clam dredges, and there is no bycatch of protected species occurring with use of either of these gear types. Hand rakes and hydraulic clam dredges are efficient at harvesting the targeted clam species, with bycatch composing only 15 – 18% of the total catch. Bycatch in the Atlantic surfclam, ocean quahog, softshell clam, and hard clam fisheries rates as a “low” conservation concern.

Hand rakes used to harvest softshell and hard clams have a “moderate” impact on the bottom habitat where clams are harvested, and the effects of hand raking vary according to the habitat in which it occurs.

There is no state-wide consistent stock assessment for softshell clams harvested in Maine. However, management has prohibited the use of dredging to commercially harvest softshell clams. The suite of preceding factors results in a rank of highly effective management for the softshell clam fishery.

How and where were these clams harvested?

No.