NOAA Announces Specs for Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog

NOAA Fisheries is setting 2021 and projecting 2022-2026 commercial harvest quotas for Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs. The final quotas, which have remained unchanged since 2004, are:

  • Atlantic surfclams: 3.4 million bushels
  • Ocean quahogs: 5.36 million bushels
  • Maine ocean quahogs: 100,000 Maine bushels

In addition, the Atlantic surfclam minimum size limit will be suspended for the 2021 fishing year, as it has been every year since 2005. There is currently no minimum size for ocean quahogs.

For more details, read the final rule as filed in the Federal Register and the bulletin.