Assessment of softshell clam stocks in Québec coastal waters .: Fs70-6/2017-024E-PDF

“Softshell clams are found along most of Québec’s shoreline. Recreational harvesting of softshell clams has a long history in Québec, but this activity is poorly documented. The fishery expanded along the North Shore in the 1970s and peaked in the year 2000. This type of harvesting has been practised almost exclusively on the Upper North Shore since 1993. Upper North Shore commercial activities are regulated by the number of licenses, a minimum legal size, a season and a landings quota by shellfish area. For recreational harvesting, management tools include the season, the minimum legal size and the number of softshell clams harvested per day. Only hand tools are permitted for softshell clam harvesting. The main indicators used for monitoring stocks are landings, fishing effort, catch per unit effort (CPUE), demographic structure and research surveys. At the request of the Fisheries Management Branch, resource assessment is done every three years. Due to the low amount of fishing activity in the early 2010s, the review of the status of clam stocks scheduled for 2014 did not take place. This Science Advisory Report is from the meeting of February 16, 2017, on the Assessment of Softshell Clam Stocks in Québec Coastal Waters"--Context, p. [1].

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