IPSWICH, Mass. — July 23, 2014 — The Southwest is not the only border under siege.
Ipswich is taking emergency action to deal with clammers coming across the Essex and Gloucester border on Sundays to harvest on the richest clamming beach in Ipswich.
It’s not as serious, of course, as the problems on the Texas border, but it’s not trivial, either, to the roughly 100 commercial clammers in Ipswich.
To deal with the situation, selectmen have voted to endorse an emergency measure that would open a small section of the town’s beaches, in an area called the spit, on Sunday to clammers licensed by Ipswich. During summer, all the town’s beaches have been closed to clam diggers on Sundays.
“I’ve heard multiple reports of diggers coming over from other towns and digging our clams,” Ipswich’s shellfish constable, Scott LePreste, told selectmen Monday night. Those communities ordinarily allow digging on Sunday.
“We’re losing to them,” LePreste said, shaking his head as he considered the quality of the harvest on the spit. “The clams, they are beautiful clams.”
LePreste has already opened the spit on past Sundays, taking advantage of his ability to act in an emergency capacity. He asked selectmen to OK Sunday openings to the end of the summer. The hope is that allowing Ipswich clammers in will keep the unlicensed Essex and Gloucester diggers out.
“If we have some of our clammers on the flat,” nodded selectman William Craft, “that will help police the encroachment going on.” He cautioned, “Let’s be clear. This is not internecine warfare out in the flats.”