Are you new to shellfishing? Or maybe you’ve done it all your life but would like to brush up on the latest guidelines for keeping your catch safe and fresh. Whatever your reason, the new “Shellfishing in Rhode Island, Recreational Harvester’s Guide” has got you covered.
The comprehensive pamphlet covers a ton of ground on one tri-folded 8.5 by 11 piece of glossy paper. There’s a section that covers how and where Rhode-Islanders can harvest shellfish, complete with a keyed and color-coded map that details all known closures – permanent and seasonal, conditional areas, marina restrictions and useful points of reference. It gives a brief, but dense, explanation of water quality and what it means for shellfish consumers. It also gives a simplified explanation of the reasons for closures and protections, where they are likely to occur and why it important to follow DEM’s warnings, guidelines and closures.
Next you’ll see condensed field guide that offers tips for preparing to dig your own clams; this segment covers tools, protective clothing and suggestions for getting geared up. The guide then covers the importance of keeping your catch cold but also protecting it from soaking in freshwater from ice, which can lead to the formation of bacteria which can make you sick! It even covers the itchy rash some clammers get, explains its origins and suggests treatment as well. This section wraps up with a recipe submitting by a generational commercial quahogger.
You’ll also get a guide to the types of shellfish found in Rhode Island waters, covering everything from oysters and periwinkles to quahogs, blue mussels and limpits. Each species features a photo and a paragraph listing their preferred habitat, variations in color and other relevant info for the shellfisher.
The pamphlet concludes with an explanation about why shellfish are important to the inshore ecosystem and why it is so imperative that we harvest responsibly. That segment covers history, environmental benefits and their contribution to the economy in the Ocean State, before giving way to a complete list of regulations by species. As well as who needs a license and who doesn’t.
The guide is available for download HERE, and hardcopies can be obtained by emailing Sue Kennedy at [email protected].
