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Clams, Pacific Razor
(Washington, Oregon, Quinault Nation; Hand Harvested)
Rating:
Pacific razor clams are a Seafood Watch® Best Choice for Washington, Oregon and the Quinault Nation.
Market Names:
Northern Razor Clam, Razor Clam
Consumer Notes:
Pacific razor clams are commonly fried, baked, used to make clam chowder, and sold as crab bait.
Summary:
Pacific razor clams are found from Pismo Beach, California to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. These recommendations cover the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) in Washington and Oregon only, where they are managed by state and tribal governments.
Pacific razor clams mature quickly, making them resilient to fishing pressure and these stocks are not current classified as overfished. In fact, landings in both states have increased in recent years, indicating management has been effective at maintaining stock abundance.
The total catch of all Quinault Indian Nation's razor clam fisheries is set at 15% of the harvestable clams each year. Rigorous stock assessments are performed annually, and the total allowable catch (TAC) is set based on the stock assessment.
Landings in the Quinault's commercial razor clam fishery have been stable, indicating that management is effective at maintaining stock abundance.
Hand harvesting results in very little bycatch because it allows fishermen to be very selective and has a fairly minimum impact on the habitat.
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