Long Term Tracking and Evaluation of Various Management Strategies Used by Municipalities in the Maine Soft-shell Clam Industry

This project uses several operational municipal clam management programs to field test and evaluate the full range of co-management and community-based strategies available to manage Maine's wild fisheries. Over a six year period, this project will develop methods to measure and evaluate relative levels of stewardship and sustainability achieved with the different types of co-management and community based management used by Maine municipalities to manage their local soft-shell clam fishery. Models include the Consultative co-management model in Brunswick, the Community-based model in Georges River, and other models from Waldoboro and Damariscotta.

This project began in the spring of 2000 with a Masters student studying and evaluating the Georges River Clam Management Program. This is a collaborative, graduate level project. Faculty supervisor is Ralph Townsend with Bob Steneck, Jim Wilson and Jim Acheson participating. Theses and other written outcome products will be subject to graduate committee and peer review. UMCE/Sea Grant staff provide field contacts and design input, and serve on steering committees with faculty and graduate students.

Ralph Townsend and Sherman Hoyt have obtained funding from the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Community Foundation for a Governor's Marine Fellowship Masters level student to begin a study and evaluation of the Georges River Clam Management Program. Kristin Brawn has been awarded the fellowship in the Marine Policy Program and is designing her project during the winter of 2000 - 2001. Dr. Steve Fegley of Maine Maritime Academy has agreed to serve on her review committee.

For more information, contact Sherman Hoyt

Operational and Organizational Support for the Maine Soft-Shell Clam Advisory Council (MSSCAC) - Improving Municipal Clam Management

The mission of MSSCAC is to help industry, municipalities and state government improve the management of soft-shell clams in Maine. The MSSCAC evolved from a series of statewide conferences on improving municipal clam management organized by the Penobscot Bay Network in 1995. The MSSCAC was formed in 1997 by a collaborative effort of Sea Grant, Cooperative Extension, DMR, SPO, MAIC, municipalities, University of Maine and NGO scientists, shellfish harvesters, and shellfish growers.

The MSSCAC took many of the recommendation from the conference work groups and, helped implemented changes in DMR Regulations and Maine statutes that guide municipal management of soft-shell clams. In addition, a work group created by MSSCAC made significant progress toward resolving long standing harvesting conflicts between clammers and marine worm diggers.

Since 1995, UMCE/Sea Grant have provided support for MSSCAC in the following ways:

• Facilitation and mailings for the two statewide conferences on Improving Municipal Clam Management in Maine - MSSCAC was a product of these conferences

• Soliciting funding to MSSCAC through SPO's Maine Coastal Program for Clam Management Day at the Maine Fishermen's Forum in 1998 and 1999

• Mailing and facilitation support from UMCE's K/L office for the MSSCAC workgroup on Reducing Conflict Between Clammers and Wormers

• Facilitation of meetings between the worm and clam industries to find common ground and develop protocols for reducing conflict between the two fisheries.

• Mailings for quarterly full MSSCAC meetings from UMCE's K/L office<br

• Organizing outreach for mid-coast regional council, mailings, press releases, etc. from UMCE's K/L office.

For more information, contact Sherman Hoyt

Clam Tents in the Damariscotta River: An Applied, Collaborative Research Project Improving Clam Settlement and Growth

Compared to the value of its landings, the soft-shell clam industry in Maine has had little research applied to the important problems of settlement, predation, and recruitment. Research done collaboratively with industry has often been very productive, with industry involvement in research adding to our knowledge of biological issues and reducing the gap between research, industry, management, and the public.

In 2000, a study was initiated in Huston's Cove on the Damariscotta River using a technique known as 'tenting', to capture juvenile soft-shell clam seed. Working with members of the local industry, researchers at Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine at Machias, Department of Marine Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers, and riparian landowners, extension associate Dana Morse helped install eight clam tents. Analysis revealed a 20- to 30-fold increase in clam settlement, and results have been delivered to stakeholders around the state.

In 2001, the local shellfish committee showed great initiative in obtaining all necessary permitting, equipment and labor needed to expand the work into two new sites. As of this writing, the nets (a total of 35 nets, using two different designs) are still deployed. Nets will be removed in the near future, and preserved for later enumeration.

The most positive impacts of this project are the engagement of the local industry, the interest shown in this technique by other clamming groups throughout the state, and the contribution to our scientific understanding of clam recruitment. The project has yielded positive results in improved relations with riparian landowners, and in the general interest the public has shown. Several news articles and presentations to various clam committees have also been well received. and the report for the year 2000 work is nearly complete. The local clam committee has show a commitment to use their conservation time for applied research, and even donated the proceeds from a charity event, the "Clam Diggers Ball" for equipment used in the year 2001 work.

Click here to view a presentation on Clam Tents in the Damariscotta River - PDF format 724 KB

Click here to view the results of clam tenting in 2001 - PDF format 63 KB

For more information, contact Dana Morse