Originally published in New York's Seafood Council Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 7, 1996 Updated September 1999
Long Island's history, culture, and traditions are closely linked to clams. The hard clam or northern quahog has been one of the most valuable seafood products harvested in New York for much of the past century. For every year from 1970 through 1994, the dockside value of hard clams landed in New York has exceeded that of any other fish or shellfish species landed in the state. The hard clam is one of several different species or types of clam found in New York's marine waters. While many consumers may not be familiar with the term "hard clam", they readily recognize the market names for the various sizes of hard clams: chowders (the largest size), cherries or cherrystones (medium size), and littlenecks or necks which are the smallest (and most valuable) clams which are traditionally consumed cooked or raw on the half shell.Hard clams live in shallow coastal bay waters in areas with a sandy, muddy, or rocky bottom. The clam burrows into the bottom substrate leaving only the siphon exposed to pump water containing food and oxygen and to dispose of waste. Scientists estimate that hard clams reproduce in 1 to 2 years, and that the average number of years required to reach a commercial size is about 3 years in the New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts area. Actual growth rates are dependent on a number of factors like water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, the quality and quantity of available food, and other factors.
Commercial hard clam harvesters are referred to as "baymen", "clammers", or "clam diggers" on Long Island where most of the state's hard clams are harvested. New York baymen work primarily in Long Island's unique and extensive system of inshore bays and waterways which are considered to be among the most productive areas for clams in the nation. Clams are harvested in Long Island's South Shore bays from Nassau county to the Great South Bay and out to Southampton Town; in the Peconic and Gardiners Bay system on the East End; and along the North Shore in Long Island Sound from the eastern tip Long Island to the western towns in Nassau county. Clams are also transplanted from Raritan Bay to certified Long Island waters where they are re-harvested after a specified period of time.
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