Martha’s Vineyard has an abundance of shellfish, thanks to the hard work of the Island’s shellfish departments. Shellfishing is a fun outdoor activity for people of all ages. A small investment — a permit, a rake, a gauge, and a basket — can yield a bounty for your table all summer long.
Summertime is the season for quahogs and steamers, a.k.a. soft-shelled clams.
To get them, some people use clam rakes, but some go old-school and wiggle their feet into the sand until they feel something akin to a smooth rock, then reach into the shallows and claim their clam. Quahogs have thick and virtually indestructible shells, while steamers are called soft-shelled because their shells are much thinner and prone to breaking. Be gentle when you dig up steamers, or you risk breaking their brittle shells.
Quahogs must be at least one inch thick, and steamers must be at least two inches long. It’s essential to purchase a cheap measuring gauge at your local bait and tackle store.
Shellfish need to stay cool, so make sure you refrigerate them as soon as possible after leaving the beach. They can usually last up to a week in the fridge, but there’s nothing better than “fresh out of the pond” steamers.
Cooking tip: Add beer to the water when you steam your steamers, or lobsters for that matter.
First things first
You need a permit from the town where you plan to go shellfishing. Oak Bluffs shellfish constable David Grunden told the Times that there are 52 shellfishing towns in Massachusetts, and each has its own permits, prices, and specifications.
Residential family permits require proof of residence, and are intended for use only by the permit holder, a spouse, and any children under 18 years old. The catch may not be sold. Senior residents can get free or discounted permits, depending on the town. In Oak Bluffs, U.S. military personnel with proof of honorable discharge will be granted free recreational permits.
Permits are available at town selectmen’s offices and locations listed below. All of the money collected from permit sales goes back to the respective town shellfish departments to support the future shellfish population.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call your town shellfish constable.
Oak Bluffs
Constable David Grunden: 508-693-0072
What’s open: Sengekontacket Pond sections 2, 3, and 7 are open for quahogs and steamers, and section 6 is set to open in mid-August. A map of Senge that shows the various sections is at oakbluffsma.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1757.
Residential permit: $40
Week/seasonal nonresidential permits: $30/$400
Take limit: ½ bushel per week (you may only shellfish once per week unless you receive permission from the constable)
Permits available at: the selectmen’s office at Oak Bluffs town hall during normal business hours and Dick’s Bait and Tackle (nonresidential only).
Vineyard Haven
Constable Danielle Ewart: 774-563-1279
What’s open: Tashmoo Pond at the foot of Lake Street, Vineyard Haven Harbor at the Town Pier, and Lagoon Pond at the ramp.
Residential permit: $40
Weeklong/yearlong nonresidential permits: $25/$400
Take limit: ½ bushel per week (you may only shellfish once per week unless you receive permission from the constable)
Permits available at: the Tisbury Town Hall through the executive assistant, or call 508-696-4200.
Chilmark
Constable Isaiah Scheffer: 508-645-2100, ext. 2145
What’s open: a section of the Chilmark portion of the Tisbury Great Pond
Residential permit: $25
Weeklong/yearlong nonresidential permits: $25/$50
Take limit: ¼ bushel per week (you may only shellfish once per week unless you receive permission from the constable)
Permits available at: the Chilmark Town Hall during normal business hours, and at the beach sticker office between 9 am and noon, seven days a week.
Edgartown
Constable Paul Bagnall: 508-627-7570
What’s open: Katama, Chappaquiddick, and parts of Sengekontacket
Residential permit: $50
Weeklong/yearlong nonresidential permits: $50/$250
Take limit: ½ bushel per week (you may only shellfish once per week unless you receive permission from the constable)
Permits available at: the board of selectmen’s office during regular business hours and the Town Hall, Monday-Friday, 10 to 1 and 2 to 4.
West Tisbury
Acting shellfish warden Raymond Gale, deputy shellfish constable Kenneth Jones: 508-696-0102
What’s open: Sepiessa Point Reservation. This area is rich in steamers, but you won’t find any quahogs here.
Residential permit: $25
Yearlong nonresidential permits: $150
Take limit: a milk crate or 5-gallon bucket
Permits available at: West Tisbury Town Hall
Aquinnah
Constable Chip Vanderhoop: 508-627-9278
What’s open: Red Beach, on the north side of Menemsha Pond, all the way down to the Menemsha channel. According to Constable Vanderhoop, you’ll find an abundance of quahogs in this area. Despite his efforts to propagate a more flourishing soft-shelled clam population, this may not be the best spot to look for steamers.
Residential permit: $30
Weeklong/yearlong nonresidential permits: $25/$100
Take limit: ½ bushel per week (you may only shellfish once per week unless you receive permission from the constable)
Permits available at: Aquinnah town hall, 9-12 on Tuesday
For more information, check out:
tisburyma.gov/sites/tisburyma/files/uploads/safe_shellfish.pdf
edgartown-ma.us/images/zoo/uploads/shellfish.pdf
