September 21, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The commercial harvest quotas for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs for the 2016 fishing year (Jan 1-Dec 31) will remain the same as the 2015 fishing year:
Surfclams: 3.4 million bushels
Ocean quahogs: 5.3 million bushels
Maine ocean quahogs: 100,000 Maine bushels
In addition, the Atlantic surfclam minimum size limit will be suspended for 2016, as it has for each of the past 10 years. There is currently no minimum size for ocean quahogs.
For more details, read the rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin posted on our website.
Questions? Contact Jennifer Goebel, Regional Office, at 978-281-9175 or Jennifer.Goebel@noaa.gov.
Atlantic surfclams being sorted on deck. Credit: NOAA