June 3, 2018 — John Hagan surveys a vast field of tidal mud and envisions a place where farmers will one day rake clams in a way that more closely resembles harvesting potatoes or carrots than shellfish.
Whether New England’s long history of harvesting clams endures might hinge on whether the bold plan works.
The region’s annual haul of clams is in decline, and Hagan, president of the Massachusetts-based sustainability group Manomet, is among the people who want to save it by encouraging the industry to try turning to a new model — farming.
“This is a climate change story. The warming Gulf of Maine brings more crabs, and increasing crabs is what we think is playing a role in the diminishing soft-shell clam population,” Hagan said. “Can we beat the green crabs? I don’t have a hard answer.”