Commission votes to send Hard Clam Amendment 3 for public and advisory review; staff recommends phased elimination of mechanical harvest on public bottom

The Marine Fisheries Commission voted to send Draft Amendment 3 of the North Carolina Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan for public and advisory committee review after a staff presentation that recommended a phase-out of mechanical clam harvesting on public bottom.

DMF co-lead Lorena told commissioners the amendment’s goal is “to manage the hard clam resource to provide long-term harvest and continue to offer protection and ecological benefits to North Carolina’s estuaries.” She said the division’s review found long-term declines in commercial landings and participation, limited recreational data, and habitat concerns tied to bottom-disturbing gear.

The division outlined management options including maintaining status quo, simplifying mechanical-harvest boundaries to improve enforceability, or phasing out the mechanical fishery on public bottom. The staff recommended a three-year phase-out from adoption unless, in a single year prior to 2027, landings exceed 1,000,000 clams AND participation rises to at least 10 mechanical harvesters. Lorena noted those triggers would return the issue to the commission for reconsideration rather than automatically preserving the fishery.

Commissioners and other participants questioned the triggers and emphasized enforcement and habitat trade-offs. One commissioner asked whether both triggers must be met or if either alone suffices; a staff member replied the draft uses a conjunctive test (both triggers in a single year). Several commissioners emphasized the cultural and economic value of mechanical gear to some families and urged the commission to give advisory committees and regional stakeholders a chance to respond before any final closure.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to send the draft amendment as recommended by staff for public and advisory committee review. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all commissioners present recorded as voting "Aye." The commission did not adopt a final closure; it approved circulating the draft for public input and advisory committee review.

Next steps: the draft amendment will be released for public and advisory review per the commission’s normal process; staff said any final decision on closures or phase-out timelines would return to the commission after that input.