Table Of ContentQuahogs in Eastern North America: Part Il,
History by Province and State
Fisheries
Se ef|,
\\F A /
\ YT/ \
| \
LJ
W. L. Hobart, Editor
. A. Strader, Managing Editor
On the cover:
The Warwick, R.1.,
statue of aq uahog fish-
erman is surrounded by
images of harvesting by
rake, carrying quahogs by
various boats and floats, and
unloading them for market.
Articles 64(3), 2002
Quahogs in Eastern Clyde L. MacKenzie, Jr., Allan Morrison, David L. Taylor,
North America: Part II, Victor G. Burrell, Jr., William §. Arnold, and
History by Province and State Armando T. Wakida-Kusunoki
U.S. DEPARTMENT The Marine Fisheries Review (ISSN 0090-1830) is pub printing this periodical has been approved by the Director of
OF COMMERCE lished quarterly by the Scientific Publications Office, Na the Office of Management and Budget
tional Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point The NMFS does not approve, recommend, or endorse any
Donald L. Evans, Secretary
Way N.E.. BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115. Annual subscrip proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this
tions are sold by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S publication. No reference shall be made to the NMFS, or to
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The this publication furnished by the NMFS, in any advertising
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND annual subscription price is $21.00 domestic, $29.40 foreign or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that the
ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Single copies are $12.00 domestic, $16.80 foreign. For new NMES approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary
subscriptions write: New Orders, Superintendent of Docu product or proprietary material mentioned herein, or which
Vice Admiral
ments, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 has as its purpose an intent to cause directly or indirectly the
Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.. Although the contents of this publication have not been advertised product to be used or purchased because of this
U.S. Navy (Ret.), Under Secretary copyrighted and may be reprinted entirely, reference to NMES publication. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
for Oceans and Atmosphere source Is appreciated for subscriptions for this journal to: Marine Fisheries Re
Publication of material from sources outside the NMFS is view, c/o Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
not an endorsement, and the NMFS is not responsible for the Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. This issue, volume
accuracy of facts, views, or opinions of the sources. The Sec 64 number 3, was printed and distributed in February 2004
National Marine Fisheries Service retary of Commerce has determined that the publication of
William T. Hogarth this periodical is necessary for the transaction of public busi This publication is available online at
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries ness required by law of this Department. Use of the funds for http://spo.nwr.noaa.gov/mcontent.htm
Canada
Quahogs in Eastern North America: United States
Part ll, History by Province and State
CLYDE L. MacKENZIE, Jr., ALLAN MORRISON, DAVID L. TAYLOR, Mexico
VICTOR G. BURRELL, Jr., WILLIAM S. ARNOLD,
and ARMANDO T. WAKIDA-KUSUNOKI
Introduction has long provided North Americans with gave an historical overview of the indus-
The quahog, Mercenaria spp., rang- a high quality food and has also been an try (including wampum manufacture
ing from the Canadian Maritimes to important part of the seafood trade and and usage and the use of quahogs in
sociocultural customs. Officially, the clambakes), and described harvesting
Mexico’s southern State of Campeche,
common name “northern quahog” is gears and methods. This article (Part II)
listed for Mercenaria mercenaria, which summarizes the history of the industry
ranges from New Brunswick, Canada, in specific Canadian provinces and U.S.
Clyde L. MacKenzie, Jr. is with the James J.
Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory, North- into Florida, while “southern quahog” and Mexican states, describes harvesting
east Fisheries Science Center, National Marine is given for Mercenaria campechiensis, gears and methods (including trips with
Fisheries Service, NOAA, 74 Magruder Road,
Highlands, NJ 07732; Allan Morrison is with the ranging mainly from Florida to southeast- typical quahogers and wardens) in more
Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture, ern Mexico (Turgeon et., 1998). But in detail, and discusses quahog enhance-
Fisheries, and Forestry, P.O. Box 2000, Char- the industry, the term quahog is used from ment programs. The authors have been
lottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada; David
L. Taylor is with the Division of Marine Fisher- the Canadian Maritimes through Rhode professional observers of quahogs and the
ies, North Carolina Department of Environment Island, while simply clam or hard clam is quahog fishery for many years. A substan-
and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 769, Morehead used from Connecticut through Texas; in tial amount of the text material is based
City, NC 28557: Victor G. Burrell, Jr. is with
the Marine Resources Research Institute, South Mexico, it is the almeja (clam). upon these observations and is unanno-
Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O The first article (Part 1) reviewed the tated. The remaining material is collected
Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422-2559, and
range, biology, and ecology of quahogs, from the literature and is so cited.
his contribution is number 427 from the South
Carolina) Marine Resources Center; William
S. Arnold is with the Florida Marine Research
Institute, Department of Environmental Protec-
tion, 100 Eighth Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL
33701-5095; and Armando Wakida-Kusunoki is
with the National Fisheries Institute, Regional N.Y., made wampum from quahog shells, They include a minimum size, now almost
Center of Fisheries Research of Cd del Carmen, used it for ornaments and sold it to the universally a 38-mm shell width, and can
Ave. Heroes del 21 de Abril S/N, Colonia Playa colonists, who, in turn, traded it to other include gear limitations and daily quotas.
Norte, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico Indians for furs. During the late 1600s, The United States produces far more
C.P. 24120. Mention of trade names or commer- 1700's, and 1800's, wampum was made quahogs than either Canada or Mexico.
cial firms in this paper does not imply endorse- in small factories for eventual trading with The leading producer in Canada is Prince
ment by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Indians farther west for furs. Edward Island. In the United States, New
The quahoging industry has provided York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island lead
people in many coastal communities with in quahog production in the north, while
a means of earning a livelihood and has Virginia and North Carolina lead in the
given consumers a tasty, wholesome food south. Connecticut and Florida were
ABSTRACT — The northern quahog, whether eaten raw, steamed, cooked in large producers in the 1990's. The State
Mercenaria mercenaria, ranges along the chowders, or as stuffed quahogs. More than of Tabasco leads in Mexican production.
Atlantic Coast of North America from the a dozen methods and types of gear have In the northeastern United States, the
Canadian Maritimes to Florida, while been used in the last two centuriefso r har- bays with large openings, and thus large
the southern quahog, M. campechiensis, vesting quahogs. They include treading and exchanges of bay waters with ocean waters,
ranges mostly from Florida to southern using various types of rakes and dredges, have much larger stocks of quahogs and
Mexico. The northern quahog was fished both of which have undergone continuous fisheries than bays with small openings and
by native North Americans during prehis- improvements in design. Modern dredges water exchanges.
toric periods. They used the meats as food are equipped with hydraulic jets and one Quahog stocks in certified beds have
and the shells as scrapers and as utensils. type has an escalator to bring the qua- been enhanced by transplanting stocks
The European colonists copied the Indians hogs continuously to the boats. In the to them from stocks in uncertified waters
treading method, and they also used short early 1900’s, most provinces and States and by planting seed grown in hatcheries,
rakes for harvesting quahogs. The Indians established regulations to conserve and which grew in number from Massachusetts
of southern New England and Long Island, maximize yields of their quahog stocks. to Florida in the 1980's and 1990's.
Figure 1. — Shorelines of Canadian Mari-
time Provinces showing locations men-
Neguac — $7 Gulf of St. Lawrence
tioned in text.
Miramichi Bay e— Ble iite Percival Bay
A
Northumberland Strait 4
Cocagne
Shediac Bridge”
New Brunswick res
4° Wallace Harbour
ye
LA: . ~~: Tatamagouche Bay ae
Bay of FundyMe) “ e oD) “
se Nova ~_
(- ey
; St. Mary’s “er Atlantic Ocean
‘3
7 50 Mi. Figure 2. — Harvesting quahogs by
50 Km. feeling in muddy sediments, Prince
Edward Island, 1998. Photograph by
A. Morrison.
History of Quahoging by Country who stated the fishery was of recent thought to be QPX (Landry”). The area
origin. The quahogs were harvested with no longer has a commercial fishery.
Canada
rakes having teeth 23 cm long. The qua- Throughout the late 1950°s, 1960’s,
The Canadian Maritime provinces hogs were taken up with lumps of bottom and 1970's, annual Maritimes quahog
are at the northern end of the northern or “blue mud,” that was shaken out before production remained below 225 t of
quahog’s range (Fig. 1). The northern- the quahogs were removed. The demand shell stock (about 6,300 bu or 70,000 Ib
most location where a commercial was entirely for half-grown quahogs, be- of meat) (Caddy and Chandler, 1976),
fishery ever existed was off the town of cause the “bull” quahogs (chowders) had but from 1984 through 1997 it fluctuated
Neguac on the north side of Miramichi a foot deemed too tough to chew. Some between 500 t (=14,000 bu, or 154,000
Bay, New Brunswick. Except for a short oystermen complained that harvesting lb of meat) and 1,000 t (=28,000 bu, or
pulse in the 1950’s, the fishery for north- quahogs damaged oyster beds. 308,000 Ib of meat). In 1998, production
ern quahogs in the Canadian Maritimes The 1950’s pulse in quahog produc- was 694 t (=19,500 bu, or 215,000 Ib of
was relatively small until the 1970’s, but tion came from the Neguac area and meat) (Canada Fisheries and Oceans
it has since expanded as the demand for lasted for about three years (Daigle'): statistics).
quahogs grew, especially in the United the highest annual landings, about On P.E.I., the most productive quahog
States which receives 90% of its land- 2,040 t of whole quahogs (=57,000 bu, harvesting areas are in the West, North,
ings (Jenkins et al., 1997). The fishery is or 627,000 Ib of meat), were in 1953. Hillsborough, and Vernon Rivers, and
concentrated in the southern Gulf of St. This Neguac stock previously had not in Percival and Malpeque Bays. In
Lawrence. Fishermen harvest quahogs been exploited, but recruitment to it New Brunswick, they are in Cocagne
in inlets around Prince Edward Island apparently was low. The fishermen har- and the Shediac Bridge area, while in
(P.E.1.) and in New Brunswick and Nova vested the quahogs by “crawling” (Fig. Nova Scotia they are in Wallace Har-
Scotia, which border on Northumber- 2) and removed nearly all the stock. bour, Tatamagouche Bay, and Pictou
land Strait. In addition, a new fishery After the fishing ended, most remnant Harbour. Additional small stocks exist
in St. Mary’s Bay, an arm of the Bay quahogs ultimately died of a disease in little inlets, such as St. Ann’s Bay on
of Fundy, in southwestern Nova Scotia (Caddy and Chandler, 1976), later the northeast shore of Cape Breton Island
began in 1997,
The initial literature reference found
regarding quahog harvesting in Prince *Landry, T. Government of Canada, Fisheries
'Daigle, O. Oyster culturist, Richibucto, New and Oceans, Moncton, New Brunswick. Personal
Edward Island was by MacBride (1912), Brunswick, Canada. Personal commun., 1999. commun., 1999.
Marine Fisheries Review
(Moore*). On a limited scale, the stocks Nova Scotia. In some areas, fishermen Fishermen rake quahogs on intertidal
are harvested recreationally. are discouraged from taking chowders beaches (Fig. 3). The rakes are 15-25
About 75% of the Maritimes quahogs to ensure that adequate spawning stocks cm wide and are either homemade or
currently are landed on P.E.I. by 300-400 are maintained. modified garden rakes. The raking is done
fishermen (Jenkins*). The peak harvest- mostly in firm sand and clay bottoms,
ing period is from late June to late Sep- Fishing Methods often close to shore, but sometimes in
tember when water temperatures range Fishermen use four quahog harvesting rocky areas where other methods are not
from 10°—25°C. New Brunswick has methods: 1) “crawling” (hand picking), used. Fishermen stand and rake through
30-50 quahog fishermen, and Nova 2) “stomping” or “tramping™ (walking), the sediments. Raking in water is not ef-
Scotia, where quahog harvesting has 3) raking, and 4) tonging. The first three fective because the quahogs are difficult
been increasing in recent years, has methods are used on intertidal flats and to locate in the silty water stirred up by
100-125 quahog fishermen, of these 25 in wading depths during low tides. Most the rake. Some crawlers use rakes if they
harvest in contaminated waters on the effort takes place during large, full-moon are in an area of abundant quahogs where
Northumberland Strait portion of Nova tides when larger and less fished areas arake is the only suitable method (Gay’).
Scotia (Gillis*) and 30 harvest in St. are available. The tide level ranges from Rakers usually harvest about halfa s many
Mary’s Bay (McGuire®). 0.5—3 m in various locations in the south- quahogs as the “crawlers.” because their
No one has identified the quahog ern Gulf of St. Lawrence. time available per tide is shorter.
predators in the Maritimes. The likely The most common and productive Fishermen tong quahogs where water
predators in the estuaries include mud method is “crawling,” in which a fisher- depths range from 0.5 to 4 m (Fig. 4).
crabs (family Xanthidae): rock crabs, C. man, while crawling on hands and knees, Bottoms with shells produce the most
irroratus, and starfish, A. vulgarus and sweeps his hands through the mud to find quahogs. The fishermen tong from dories
A. forbesi. quahogs. The method is used in water less 4.5 to 5 m long and propelled by 10—35
than 0.75 m deep and on intertidal flats. hp outboard motors. The dories have
Government Regulations
The fishermen wear gloves and usually tonging boards in their bows for culling
Fishermen who harvest quahogs for have a container supported by a tire inner and measuring shellfish. Their anchor
sale must possess a license issued by the tube for flotation tied to their bodies for lines are looped around hooks on the cull-
Canadian Government. A limited number holding the quahogs. ing boards to allow easy adjustment of
of licenses are issued, so new entrants When crawling in eelgrass beds, the their lengths. From 30 to 40 tongers work
must obtain a license from a person who fishermen have to wear shirts with long in the 3 provinces in any given summer
wishes to leave the fishery. sleeves to protect their arms from cuts. day, and each tonger harvests 100-250
The only closed season for clean water Harvesting is easiest in areas covered by Ib (1.25—3 bu) of quahogs/day.
harvesting in the Maritimes is in Queen’s sea lettuce because the quahogs protrude In some areas of Prince Edward Island,
County, P.E.I., where in 1998 the closed above the mud-like sediments. Crawlers fishermen who possess a clam license
season extended from | May to the first do not like to harvest in shelly bottoms also harvest some quahogs in their tongs
Monday following 15 July. This was an because the shells will cut their gloves. while harvesting oysters duritnheg oyster
experimental closure and it was contin- The most productive fishermen harvest season, which runs from | May to 15
ued in 1999. The harvesting of quahogs up to 5-6 hr and obtain 100 to 200 Ib July and 15 September to 30 November.
in contaminated areas for relaying was (1.25-2.5 bu) of quahogs/day when fa- The quahog bycatch is relatively small
allowed in this area during this closed vorable tides occur. and varies in size among areas. At least
season. Also in 1999, Sunday and night- “Stomping” or “tramping™ involves half the Maritimes* quahog landings are
time fishing was not allowed in Queen’s fishermen feeling for quahogs with their harvested by “crawlers,” while tongers
County. The minimum lengths that feet while walking over bottoms in water harvest the least amounts. Raking and
quahogs can be harvested are 50 mm in depths up to 0.75 m or on bare flats. They “stomping” together account for less
P.E.I., and 38 mm in New Brunswick and wear stockings or neoprene booties to than a third of the total.
protect their feet from sharp shells. This
St. Mary's Bay Fishery
method is used on firmer and sometimes
‘Moore, B. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, sandier bottoms than those where “crawl- In 1997, a new quahog fishery in St.
S1i9d9n9e.y , Nova Scotia, Canada. Personal commun., ers” harvest. The quahogs are easier to Mary’s Bay supported about 30 fisher-
locate when the areas are covered with men, most all of whom were experienced
+Jenkins, J. Chief, Resource Allocation and De
velopment, Government of Canada, Fisheries water than on bare flats. When a “stom- softshell clammers. They used modified
and Oceans, Charlottetown Prince Edward Is per’ finds a quahog, he bends over and 4-5 tine clam rakes (hacks) with short
land. Personal commun. 1999.
picks it up, and, after making sure it is handles for harvesting quahogs. Tides
Gillis, G. Canadian Food Inspection Agency,
Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada. Personal commun., legal size, places it in a bucket or float in this area rise and fall an average of
1999 ing container. “Stompers” harvest about
"McGuire, A. Innovative Fisheries Products, 66% as many quahogs as “crawlers” do
Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Personal (Gay. R. Fisherman, Pownal, Prince Edward
commun., 1999 in a day. Island, Canada. Personal commun., 1999
64(3)
Figg ure 3. Harvesting northern quahogs with a rake, Prince Figure 4. Harvesting eastern oysters, Crassostrea virgin-
Edward Island, 1998. Photograph by A. Morrison. ica, and northern quahogs with tongs, Prince Edward Island,
1998. Photograph by A. Morrison.
about 6 m, exposing tidal flats that may solidissima. P.E.1. has about eight shell- $1.35/lb for small, $0.65/lb for medium,
extend as far as 1.5 km from shore. The fish dealers who handle quahogs, New and $0.15/lb for large quahogs. The
fishermen travel to the quahog grounds Brunswick has two, and Nova Scotia has fishermen truck their quahogs from the
using vehicles called “four wheelers.” At four including the depuration plant in shores to the dealers’ plants. Some fisher-
times during the summer, the fishermen Digby County. The P.E.I. dealers recently men pay other quahogers Can$1.00/bu to
can harvest during both the morning began buying quahogs by the piece rather deliver them.
and afternoon low tides. Each harvests than by weight, because they were sell- Dealers who relay contaminated
about 220 Ib (2.75 bu) of quahogs/tide ing them by the piece. Dealing by weight quahogs must hold them for a minimum
(McGuire). St. Mary’s Bay is closed to became awkward because quahogs from of 14 days on an approved clean-water
direct harvesting for market due to bacte- different areas and bottom types vary in lease for depuration before marketing
rial contamination, and so the quahogs weight depending on their shell thickness them. Many quahogs harvested from
have to be depurated in the Maritimes’ and shape (Fortune*). In 1998, P.E.1. closed areas in Nova Scotia are relayed
only on-shore depuration facility, located dealers paid per piece Can$0.20-0.24 to P.E.I. for depuration. Before being
in Digby County, N.S. for small, $0.17-0.19 for medium, and marketed, relayed quahogs must be
$0.08-0.10 for large quahogs. In New tested for bacterial contamination by an
Quahog Dealers Brunswick, dealers paid about Can approved laboratory, such as the Food
Fishermen sell their quahogs to shell- Technology Center in Charlottetown,
fish dealers, who also handle oysters; P.E.I. New Brunswick does not have
softshells, Mya arenaria, blue mussels, ‘Fortune, B. Canadian Cove Shellfisheries. a fishery for quahogs in contaminated
Orwell Cove, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Mytilus edulis; and surfclams, Spisula Personal commun., 1999. waters. Most quahogs are taken to
Marine Fisheries Review
the United States in temperature-con-
trolled trucks, and they have a 30-day
shelf-life.
Recreational Fishery
Throughout their range in shallow
waters in the Maritimes, quahogs are
harvested by tourists and local people
for home use, though softshells and
surfclams are more popular with the
recreationalists. A license is not required
by recreational clammers, but a person
cannot possess more than 50—100 qua-
hogs depending on the location. The qua- on
hogs are gathered by “stomping.” raking,
or digging with forks or shovels. Quahogs
Sf:
harvested by recreational harvesters are
A\E o
not included in official landings statis- af)-\ .
tics. Canadians rarely eat quahogs raw W :
on the half-shell. Littlkenecks, topnecks, he. § Buzzards Bay
=
and cherrystones are usually steamed and
then eaten. Nantucket Sound
Quahog Culture
The three provinces have conducted
culture trials with quahog seed produced
in various hatcheries. The trials, initiated
in the mid 1970’s, have provided rather Martha’s Vineyard Katama Bay
poor results due to the 6—7 yr usually re-
quired for the quahogs to attain a length
of 50 mm (Kerswill, 1949) and problems Figure 5. Southeastern Massachusetts showing locations mentioned in text.
with predators. In addition, substantial
numbers of juveniles often die from
other causes in their first winter. United States To date, the longest historical record
Quahogs adapted for fast growth about quahoging in any section of
Massachusetts
(“notata” variety) are being tested. Three the state was published in an article
known importations took place between The bays in Massachusetts that have describing the history of shellfishing
the early 1990’s and 1997. The first two produced the most quahogs have been on Martha’s Vineyard in a county his-
were “unofficial” while the third came Wellfleet Harbor, Pleasant Bay, Cotuit torical magazine (MacKenzie, 1992b).
to PE.I. from the Aquaculture Research Harbor, Buzzards Bay, and Katama Bay The histories of the quahog fisheries in
Corporation in Dennis, Mass. The “no- (Belding, 1912) (Fig. 5). Massachusetts some of the other Massachusetts loca-
tatas” were spawned in the hatchery at towns have local control over manage- tions probably are similar. The history
the Ellerslie Fisheries Station in January ment of their shellfish resources. It is on Martha’s Vineyard is presented here
1998 and growout trials now are under- administered by town-employed shell- in lieu of an overall State history. Indian
way in the three Maritime provinces. On fish wardens or constables, who work middens containing quahog shells have
P.E.I., six sites were chosen for growth within state regulations administered been found on Martha’s Vineyard. One
trials. In the spring, seed at a mean length by the Massachusetts Division of Envi- midden, on the northwest shore of Sen-
of 6.2 mm was planted at a density of ronmental Law Enforcement. The towns gecontacket Pond, had quahog and bay
500/ft? in 16 ft* plastic trays containing regulate the number of bushels, referred scallop shells with some arrowheads
sand. The mean size of the seed after 4 to as a “limit,” each quahoger is allowed scattered to a 60-cm depth through-
months was 14.5 mm (MacNair’). to land each day (Whittaker'”). out a 4-acre field. Indian middens
comprised almost entirely of quahog
shells also lie along some shores in
the town of Marion facing Buzzards
’MacNair, N. P.E.L. Dep. of Fisheries and Tour !OWhittaker, D. State of Massachusetts, Division Bay; one midden is about 12 m in dia-
ism, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Personal of Marine Fisheries, Pocasset, Massachusetts.
meter (MacKenzie et al., 2002:Plate 1).
commun., 1999. Personal commun., 1999
64(3)
Several others have been covered by deep using basket rakes and bull rakes.
house construction. The bonanza also attracted about 30 part-
The first record of commercial qua- timers who harvested the town limit of
hoging on Martha’s Vineyard was written 2 bu of littlenecks during low tides and
by Freeman (1807): “The poquau (called also worked at odd jobs ashore. The little-
the quahog in the county of Barnstable) is necks sold for $1.25 and the chowders
found in Old Town (Edgartown) Harbor, for $0.50 a bushel. The 1938 Hurricane
at Cape Poge, and in Menemsha Pond; washed sand over most of the beds and
great quantities are exported. It is taken quahogs have never been as abundant
with iron rakes in deep water; and in shal- since.
low water it is picked up by hand. Cape During summers, in the 1920’s and
Poge Pond, a lagune of salt water, affords 1930’s, one of the local markets for
an inexhaustible supply of poquaus and quahogs was a daily clambake. In ad-
eels: Boats which are chiefly from Con- dition, summer visitors also purchased
necticut, frequently enter it and procure littlenecks for half-shell consumption
poquaus from the natives.” and meats from large quahogs for chow- Figure 6. — Sailing sharpie with mast
During the 1900’s, the fishermen used ders, both of which were available from lying inside (Courtesy of Mystic Sea-
short rakes, basket rakes, and bull rakes markets and peddlers. In the 1950’s, port Museum, Mystic, Conn.).
for harvesting quahogs. In the early littkenecks and cherrystones were offered
1900°s, Edgartown had the finest little- in some island restaurants and seafood length. Decks were made quite flat and
neck fishery in Massachusetts. In 1903, snack bars and sold for 3 for $0.10 or 12 the cockpit area was made smaller in re-
the town passed a regulation forbidding for $0.35, but most of the quahog pro- lation to the size of the boat. At first there
the taking of quahogs under 1.5 inches duction was shipped to the mainland. was no break in the level of the deck, but
across their widest part. Fishermen who Katama Bay still produces quahogs, the cockpit coaming was made lower so
used short rakes got to the beds in row- and in the 1990's about 15 men, mostly that it didn’t strike the quahoger’s leg
boats and sailing sharpies (Fig. 6). They teenagers and retirees, harvested them in so high up when the boat rolled. Then
put the quahogs in the boat which they the summer. a raised deck forward was added which
towed with a rope around their waist. Darling (1984) describes additional gave an excellent unobstructed working
(Some years later, they began using historical details about Massachusetts surface at the bow where the launching
a basket floated inside an automobile quahoging in a booklet entitled, “Qua- of the rake took place. This was a mixed
inner tube to hold their quahogs.) The hoging Out of Rock Harbor 1890-1930." blessing as now the quahoger had to
investment required by the fishermen Rock Harbor is an inlet in Orleans on the be sure to remember to step down to
was small: boat, $20; rake, $3; and north shore of Cape Cod. Its fishermen the narrow lower section of the deck,
basket, $2. At this time, Edgartown also raked quahogs in Cape Cod Bay. Darling which was outside the coaming of the
had about 40 long-rake fishermen who (1984) said, “The safety of the quahoger cockpit, whenever he had raked back to
dug quahogs in 1.5-4.5 m of water from depended on his boat and engine. The the end of the raised forward deck over
catboats and other boats. The first rake boat had to be able to ride out storms and the cabin.
used was the basket rake, which had a to ride smoothly at anchor while raking. “Usually the quahoger-built boats
pole of yellow pine 6—7 m long. Fisher The first boats used out of the harbor were kept the catboat’s square stern and shal-
men later also used bull rakes. In 1907, catboats because they were the ones im- low draft, but when anchored stern to the
production of quahogs in Edgartown was mediately at hand in the 1890°s. They waves the square and flat construction of
20,000 bu, which brought the fishermen used sails for propulsion. The shape of the stern made them pound. The seem-
about $32,000, an average of $5—$8/day the cat was nearly ideal for quahoging ingly obvious answer to this problem was
fisherman (Belding, 1912). in that it was wide for its length thereby to build double-enders which rode easily
In about 1930, Massachusetts authori- offering a reasonably stable platform on when stern to the seas. Unfortunately this
ties increased the minimum size limit for which to work. Catboats were seldom design rolled excessively when the seas
quahogs to a 2-in (51-mm) diameter. A over 26 feet (7.9 m) in length as a larger were quartering or broadside and had to
boom followed in the mid 1930°s for cat tended to be clumsy and less sound be heavily ballasted for the sake of stabil-
Edgartown fishermen, because in 1930 structurally. With the advent of gasoline ity. So the square-sterned type was the
or 1931 quahogs set densely throughout powered marine engines the mast was best after all.”
Katama Bay, and about 70 full-time and removed and an engine installed. The first engines used in the catboats
part-time fishermen raked quahogs there. “As engines became available men were the Mianus and the Lathrop. Darling
About 30 regulars dug with short rakes began to design and build their own (1984) said, “A single cylinder, 2-cycle
at low tide, mostly in the bay’s shallow ideas of the perfect quahoging boat. Mianus engine had a flywheel, crank-
channels in knee to waist-deep water. The hulls were made longer and some- shaft, connecting rod and piston. On the
About 10 others dug in waters 1.5-3 m what narrower in relation to their overall front of the engine, between the cylinder
Marine Fisheries Review
and the flywheel, there was an eccentric had a built-in retractable brass pin to use (thin bills), and littlkenecks. By the early
which moved a push-rod up and down. as acrank. The spring that was supposed 1920°s, another grade had been added,
This rod operated a water pump and the to pull these pins back into the flywheel called “counts” because they counted
moveable arm of the ignition system. when the engine started could break. 100 to a bucket. They included blunts
These eight moving parts, some enclosed This would leave the pin sticking out and sharps between 2.5 and 3.5 inches
by the base and cylinder, were the engine! the full four to five inches (10—12.7 cm) (6.4-8.9 cm) long. Counts today are
The electrical system consisted of four of its length, whirling around with the opened and served on the half-shell as
dry cells connected to a transformer-like flywheel! This was a real arm and leg littlenecks or cherrystones (Darling.
coil which intensified the spark before it breaker! After starting the engine under 1984).
was fed to the igniter these conditions a board could be held at Before 1925, most fishermen packed
“A small oil reservoir on each cylinder a slant in front of the spinning wheel so their quahogs in barrels and shipped
was filled with about a cup of oil before that the pin would hit the board thus fore- them to a shellfish commission mer-
each trip and adjusted to drip oil slowly ing it back into the rim of the flywheel chant in Fulton Market, New York City.
into the crankcase. No mixing of oil and where it belonged.” They never knew what their pay would
gasoline was necessary. A grease cup was The fishermen of Rock Harbor dug be until they got their checks. Around
connected to each of the two main bear- quahogs in the bight area of Cape Cod 1925, a local man began buying quahogs.
ings and was turned down half a turn or so Bay between Wellfleet and Brewster. The It meant no packing and the fishermen got
before each trip. These engines, both one water depths were 3—12 m. They carried their checks every day. But if the price
and two-cylinder types, turned propellers poles for their rakes of lengths of about was down, the fishermen did not sell their
up to 22 inches (56 cm) in diameter and 8.5, 13, and 17 m. The metal rakes were quahogs immediately. They spread them
drove the boats at a steady eight to ten about 0.75 m wide and had teeth 10 cm in designated beds and took them up in
knots, which was as fast as the hulls were long. A net bag 0.75-0.9 m long was the fall or early winter when the price
designed to go. These engines would attached to hold the quahogs and trash. was higher. Before World War I, the Rock
move the boat forward or astern equally Besides the rake and poles, each fisher- Harbor fishermen got about $1.00/bushel
well depending on how you started them! man carried a crockery jug of water to for quahogs. During the 1920's, the price
And, with experience, you could reverse drink (Darling, 1984). averaged about $3.50/bushel (Darling,
them while running. The fishermen found their digging 1984).
“The old Lathrop had no carburetor, location by sighting ranges on shore In the 1930’s, secondhand automobile
but had a device that was called a va- points, stakes, and buoys. Upon reach- engines, many from wrecked automo-
porizer. Gasoline flowed into it and was ing a good location, they set out a stern biles, were installed in boats replacing
sucked into the base of the engine through and bow anchor, with the bow facing the Mianus and Lathrop engines. The
asmall unit in which a spring held a brass the current. The line (also known as a most common was a 4-cylinder Chevrolet
ball against a collar. warp or road) between the anchors was engine. They had standard transmissions
“A one-cylinder 2-cycle Lathrop 180 m long and was kept tight to prevent that were set in high gear, and forward
engine ... had a fixed point of the ig- the boat from swinging back and forth. and reverse gears were then possible.
nition that went through the top of the In raking quahogs, the fishermen tossed The engines were cooled with salt water
cylinder, while the moveable point, which their rake into the current. The pressure which ran through the engine block. The
made and broke the contact, went through of the current against the rake’s handle engines were durable and many san more
the front of the cylinder. The spark was kept the rake’s teeth in the bottom. Two than 10 years.
produced when these two points broke men could rake off a boat, one off each Information about some other Mas-
apart. “Make and brake’ was the name for side. They raked the length of the boat sachusetts areas over the past 50 years
this type of ignition. This mechanism was by inching backward from bow to stern. is available. Since the late 1940s, the
activated by a push-rod which in turn was When the areas were raked out, they let Massachusetts Division of Marine
moved by an eccentric on the crankshaft. out slack on the anchor line and turned Fisheries has conducted a transplant-
This eccentric was really an off-center the rudder to one side, which brought ing program from polluted harbors and
Wheel on the crankshaft located between them to a new area. When that area was rivers, such as the Taunton River, which
the flywheel and the base of the engine. raked out, the rudder was swung the other flows past Fall River into Narragansett
This same eccentric worked the water way and the boat moved in the opposite Bay, to certified beds in Narragansett
pump to cool the cylinder walls. In the direction to unraked bottom. If a bottom and Buzzards Bays for depuration and
oldest engines the cylinder head wasn’t became fished out, the anchors were reset subsequent harvesting by fishermen.
cooled at all but this caused problems in another location (Darling, 1984). Between the mid 1960's and the early
which led to a change in the design. There The daily catch/man ranged from 3 to 1980°s, regular annual relaying was at a
Were no gears to operate anything — just 10 bushels: the catch depended mostly rate of about 8,000 bu/yr, and the trans-
the eccentric and the push-rod! on the hours available to work. Before planting continued during the 1990's. In
“The flywheels on all of these early World War I, there were three grades 1980 and 1981, State of Massachusetts
engines were large, even massive, and of quahogs: blunts (thick bills), sharps surveys of quahog abundance in its pol-
64(3)
luted waters of Narragansett Bay and
Buzzards Bay (only areas deeper than
3.7 m were included) found the standing
crop was 610,000 bu, 75% of which were
chowders (Hickey, 1983).
Besides Cape Cod Bay, quahogs also
grow in Buzzards Bay and Nantucket
Sound, which all have oceanic waters.
In the late 1940’s, 10 boats using rocking
chair dredges began harvesting quahogs
en i ee
in Buzzards Bay. Their ports were various
local harbors, such as Dartmouth, New
Bedford, and Fairhaven (Bourque!'). The
harvesting continued in later years, and,
by the 1990's, 12-15 dredging boats,
which ranged trom 10 to 15 m long
and used hydraulic dredges with blades Figure 7 Harvesting northern quahogs with hydraulic dredge, Buzzards Bay,
Mass.. mid 1990s. Photograph by D. Whittaker.
40-91 cm wide, harvested quahogs
in the bay year-round, except in outer
New Bedford Harbor where the season months. The divers work only in Ware- or about 25% as many as the commer-
is September—June (Fig. 7). The dredg- ham, 1; New Bedford, 3: and Fair Haven, cial fishermen landed (Whittaker!”).
ing depths are 2.4—15 m (avg. 9 m). This 6; they use a ping pong paddle with holes Some harvesting areas are classified as
latter depth is the maximum limit for the in it to scour away the sediments to find conditionally approved for digging by the
hose which leads to the dredge: the ratio the quahogs. The treading is limited to Division of Marine Fisheries. The areas
of hose length to depth is 3:1. The catch a few men in Marion. Some bull rakers are closed for 5 days immediately follow-
is 90% chowders and the remainder little- and tongers harvest year-round. Harvests ing varying amounts of rain in different
necks and cherrystones. The philosophy vary by season because the quahogs locations (Bourque'').
is “what comes aboard, stays aboard.” are near the surface during the warm Cape Cod Bay now has a small dredge
except for seed. Individual towns now months, but burrow more deeply during fishery for quahogs. The State allows har-
regulate the number of bushels allowed the cold months putting some beyond vesting with rocking chair dredges, but
to be harvested. During the warm months, the range of the rakes” teeth. Each bull not hydraulic dredges in this bay. About
each boat is limited to 10 bu of littlenecks raker harvests about 1.400 quahogs 12 boats are active: 6 sail from Wellfleet
day but can land unlimited quantities of (“pieces”)/day from late May through and 6 sail from Orleans (Anderson!*).
the larger quahogs. During the winter, September, 1,000 quahogs/day from Belding (1931) mentioned a quahog
fishermen can retain all the litthkenecks October through December, and 600-700 fishery using dredges in Nantucket Sound
they can harvest because Massachusetts quahogs/day from January through mid from 1912t o 1915. But he said, after sev-
authorities believe they die if returned to May (Anderson!). eral years of harvesting, the beds were
the bottom. The boats harvest in their Most of the towns around Buzzards nearly exhausted. Between 1940 and the
town waters of New Bedford (7 boats), Bay each issue at least 1,200 permits to late 1950°s, the beds were harvested spo-
Fair Haven (2 boats), and the Elizabeth recreationalists (local resident, seniors, radically by boats which sailed from ports
Islands (near Cuddyhunk and Penekese and non-residents) each summer. During on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.
Islands) (1 boat) (Whittaker'”). summer weekends in good weather and In 1956, fishermen used hydraulic jet
During the warm months, about 270 a low tides, about 1.200 recreationalists dredges to harvest the quahogs there for
bull rakers, short rakers, including a few dig quahogs in the towns around Buz- the first time: 5 boats were using them in
tongers, scuba divers, and treaders har- zards Bay: Westport, 225; Dartmouth, 12: the late 1950°s (Ropes and Martin, 1960).
vest quahogs daily in town beds around New Bedford, 12; Fair Haven, 275; Mat- Quahoging ever since has been limited in
Buzzards Bay: Westport, 50; Dartmouth, tapoisett, 75: Marion , 20; Wareham and nearly all of the sound because the qua-
25: New Bedford, 10: Fair Haven, 30: Onset, 50: Bourne. 530; and Falmouth, hogs have been scarce (Whittaker'”).
Mattapoisett, 1: Marion, 10: Wareham, 20. In most towns, each permittee is In May 2001, however, a large bed of
20; Bourne, 62: and Falmouth, 60. Nearly allowed to land one peck (1/4th bu) of quahogs, 4-5 km-*, was discovered on
all the Falmouth fishermen dig only in quahogs/week (Bourque!'). In 1999, Handkerchief Shoals in the northeast
the winter because the largest beds are quahog landings by Buzzards Bay recre- corner of the sound about 5 km west
closed due to pollution during the warm ational diggers totaled nearly 15,000 bu. of Monomoy Island. Its depth is 9-11]
meters. In the summer of 2001, 15 boats
out of a fleet of 22 boats, 13-22 m long,
''Bourque, B. Shellfish warden, New Bedford, Anderson, M. Fisherman, Chatham, Massachu
Massachusetts. Personal commun., 1999 setts. Personal commun., 1999 were harvesting the quahogs daily, each
Marine Fisheries Review
