PLAN FOR ENHANCEMENT OF RECREATIONAL CLAM FISHERIES
IN OREGON -- 1986 TO 1991
INTRODUCTION
The clam fisheries
fisheries of
of Oregon are an important recreational resource that
that
attract
many
thousands
of
tourists
to
coastal
areas.
Millions
of
clams
attract many thousands
tourists to coastal areas. Millions
clams
are taken each year from
from the
the numerous
numerous clam
clam beds
beds along
along the
the coast.
coast.
However, due
due to
to the
the present
present limited
limited manpower
manpower and
and resources
resources at
at ODFW,
ODFW,
However,
Newport,
is not closely monitored.
Newport, the fishery is
monitored. The last intensive survey
of clam fisheries
fisheries was
the distribution and
was carried out in 1971 when the
densities
the major Oregon
densities of clam populations
populations and fishing
fishing efforts
efforts in the
bays were determined.
determined. The impact
impact of clammers and the effects of various
on clam
clam populations have not been studied
studied in
in
management practices on
detail.
Furthermore, it
limited effort
effort
detail Furthermore
it has
has been possible to put only limited
into studying the potential for
for enhancement of clam fisheries
fisheries by
planting or by the introduction
introduction of potentially useful species.
species.
OBJECTIVES
we
identified four
four areas
areas of research and education that
that require
We have identified
attention.
These are:
are:
attention. These
1) Development of
of aa fishery
fishery for
for the
the Manila
Manila clam
clam Tapes
Tapes
1)
iaponica.
ca.
2) Study the effects of clamming and management
2)
practices on
on clam
clam populations.
populations.
3) Study the
the impact of mud and ghost
3)
ghost shrimp
shrimp on clam
populations.
4)
4) Improve public awareness
awareness of clams
clams and clamming.
clamming
DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS
1)
a fishery for
for the
the Manila clam Tapes
iaponica
1) Development
Develonment of a
Lapes laponica
of aa fishery
fishery for
for the
the Manila clam Tapes laponica
japonica in
in
The development of
Washington State in
in the
the last
last 12 years
years has
the great
great success
success
has been one of the
stories
fisheries of
of the
the North-West
North-West U.S.A.
U.S.A. The clam grows
grows
stories for clam fisheries
is harvested and marketed by many
rapidly in favorable conditions and is
commercial clam growers in
in Washington.
to
Washington. Clams
Clams are also distributed to
stores in
in Oregon.
Oregon.
retail stores
The
is an excellent candidate
candidate species
species for the development of
The Manila clam is
aa new clam fishery in
in Oregon.
Oregon. It is
is found high in the inter-tidal zone
and clammers would not be dependent on low spring tides for harvesting
the
Furthermore,the
is
the clams.
clams. Furthermore,
the Manila clam occupies a habitat niche that is
not
by native
native clam
clam species,
species, between populations
not presently
presently utili¢ed
utilied by
populations of
of
27-
the
arenaria), found
foundin
inthe
the high
high intertidal
intertidal zone,
zone,
the soft-shell
soft-shell clam
clam (Mya
(y arenaria),
the hard-shell clams,
clams, found
found lower
lower on
on the
the shore.
shore.
and the
several attempts
attempts to
to introduce
introduce the
the Manila clam
clam to
to Oregon
Oregon
There have been several
ODFW, Newport,
helped
by 0511
OSU and
by ODFW,
Newport
helped by
and OSU
0311 Sea
Sea Grant.
Grant. Naturally
Naturally
reproducing populations are now found
found in Netarts
Netarts Bay.
Bay. Planted
survived, grown
grown and
and will
will soon
soon be
be reaching
reaching
]2.£E~.1ft~Jg!1S."'"o"_!!:,,"g,2"2~~~aY$ have survived,
sexual
maturity.Wewepropose
proposetotoextend
extend attempts
attempts to
to introduce
introduce the
the Manila
sual maturity.
clam to other bays in
in Oregon
Oregon as
as follows:
follows:
a)
a) To establish viable,
viable, -reproducing
reproducing colonies
colonies of Manila
Manila
clams
selected bays on
on the
the Oregon
Oregon coast.
coast.
clams in selected
Groups of adult
adult and
and juvenile
juvenile clams will be planted in
in selected
selected
bays. These planted populations will be protected
protected from
from
Oregon bays.
predation by a
a covering
covering of
of mesh screening.
screening. The clams will be
predation
allowed to
to reach sexual maturity and to
to produce
produce offspring that may
other areas
areas of
of the
the bays.
bays.
colonize other
b) To monitor the
the performance of planted clam populations and
and the
the
b)
colonization
of other
other sites.
sites.
colonization of
growth, survival
survival and
and reproductive condition of planted
planted clam
clam
The growth,
monitored. In a five year research period,
period, it
it
populations will be monitored.
is expected that two to three generations
generations of planted clams will
is
reach sexual maturity.
sites by
maturity. Colonization of new sites
by clams may be
difficult to detect during early stages
stages of introduction,
introduction, due to
the expected low density of colonizing individuals.
individuals. Monitoring of
the
established clam
clam populations
populations in
in Netarts
Netarts bay
bay will
will be
be continued.
continued.
c) To develop management strategies for the Manila clam that
that will
c)
maximum public
public access
access and
and maximum
maximum sustainable
sustainable yield.
yield.
allow maximum
This phase of the
the program will depend on both the
the degree of
of
This
success of introductions
introductions and
and the
the biology
biology of
of the
the species.
species.
2)
2) Study
Study the
the effects
effects of
of clamming
clamming and
and management practices
practices on
on clam
clam
populations.
Cockles (Clinocardium
(Clinocardium nuttallii)
nuttallii) are
are -probably
~~obably the most commonly
commonly
harvested species
species of
of clam
clam in
in Oregon
Oregon and,
and, in
in many places,
places, are
are subject
subject to
to
harvested
intensive
is proposed to
intensive fishing
fishing effort.
effort. It
It is
to study the
the effects
effects of various
various
strategies on
on selected
selected populations of
of cockles.
cockles. In
In addition,
addition,
management strategies
the
the potential
potential of enhancing cockle populations
populations by planting hatcheryhatcherywill be
be investigated.
investigated.
reared juveniles will
!
',f/,;p.,!';"
the impact
impact of
of ghost
ghost and
and satid
s&6d shrimp
3)Study the
shrimp on clams
Recent observations have indicated
indicated that the
the spread of the ghost
ghost shrimp
shrimp
and the
the mud
mud shrimp
shrimp (Upogebia
(Upogebia pugettensis)
pugettensis)
(Callianassa californiensis) and
in Oregon's
Oregon's bays has
has had an adverse effect on clam populations.
populations. The
activities of the
the shrimp
shrimp disturb
disturb the
the sediment
sediment and
and smother
smother the
the clams,
clams,
resulting in
in the loss
loss of
of suitable
suitable substrates
substrates for
for clam
clam production.
production.
Research needs
to study interactions
interactions between shrimp and
needs to be undertaken to
life histories
clam populations.
populations. More information on the life
histories of the two
species of shrimp
species
shrimp is
is also
also required.
required.
4)
Improve public
4) jjpprove
public awareness
awareness of
of clams and clamming.
A
characteristics and use of commonly harvested clam
clam
A pamphlet on the characteristics
titled "Oregon's
"0regon's Captivating
Captivating Clams"
Clams" was
was produced
producedby
by0511
OSU Sea
Sea
species titled
Grant and ODFW,
ODFW, Newport in 1982 and was
was well
well received.
received. Copies
Copies of the
are now sold
sold out and
and funds are requested for additional
pamphlet are
printing.
printing. A
A publication on clamming in Oregon is
is also
also near completion by
Mr. Dale
Dale Snow,
Snow, ODFW,
ODFW, Newport,
Newport, and
and requires
requires funding for
for its
its publication.
publication.
Mr.
A series
series of
of short
short films
films and
and slide
slide presentations are also required to
to
A
publicize and inform the
the public
public of available
available clam resources,
resources, their
management,
techniques and culinary uses.
management, harvesting techniques
uses. The
The presentations
to schools
schools and
and centers
centers for
for adult
adult education.
education.
could be made available to
EVALUATION OF RESULTS
Periodic
results is
is required to
that the
Periodic review of results
to ensure
ensure that
the objectives of
the
the program are
are being pursued effectively.
effectively. A major
major evaluation of the
program should be carried out after 5
5 years
to assess
assess ongoing
years in order to
projects and identify
identify new
new needs.
needs.
REOUIRED SUPPORT
REQUIRED
above it will be necessary to
to
In order to undertake the program outlined above
outside, such as
enlist additional help from either within ODFW or from outside,
OSU.
to 4
4 above,
above, are in our perceived order of
of
OSU. The projects,
projects, listed 1 to
priority. Therefore,
Therefore, funding raised from permit licenses should be
priority.
apportioned accordingly.
accordingly.