Shellfish Management Program

Mission

The softshell clam resource belongs to the people of the State of Maine. The Department of Marine Resources must ensure that municipalities assuming the responsibility of managing shellfish resources do so in a manner consistent with the state's goal of balancing use of the resource and conservation. Towns manage their shellfish resources to the lower tide line (except for intertidal mussel harvest permits), by adopting and enforcing a town shellfish conservation ordinance.

The Area Biologists are responsible for helping municipalities with resource assessment and management of their shellfish ordinances. The Shellfish Program Coordinator manages the Muncipal Shellfish warden eligibility and training program.

Staff Contact Information

• Mailing address:
  Municipal Shellfish Program, DMR
  P.O. Box 8
  West Boothbay Harbor, ME  04575-0008
• Area Biologist Regions and Towns (PDF file, 1 page)
• Select the name of the Area Biologist below to find their E-mail address and other contact information:
  • Denis-Marc Nault (Program Supervisor) His cell phone number is 207-592-0512 and his office number is 207-667-6790. 
  • Pete Thayer  (Pete's area map) His cell phone number is 207-592-9384 and his office number is 207-633-9539.
  • Hannah Annis (Hannah's area map) Her cell phone number is 207-949-4498
  • Heidi Leighton (Heidi's area map) Her cell phone number is 207-350-6995 and her office number is 207-434-5922.

Town Shellfish Warden Application and Training

Town Shellfish Ordinances, Permits & Intertidal Management Plans

• This link contains town Conservation Closure permits, Transplant permits, Shellfish Ordinances, Intertidal Management Plans, and coordinating maps.

Forms - Annual Review Forms needed by towns with ordinances, Applications for Shellfish Program Permits and Wardens, and more

News & Meetings

• Shellfish Advisory Council meeting and minutes information
• Shellfish dealer newsletters
• Subscribe here (free) to Maine DMR and Public Health news by e-mail or text on your choice of topics.
• Report to the Joint Standing Committee on LD 1452 Jan. 31, 2015 (PDF file, 14 pages)
• Stakeholder meeting for clam and worm industries presentation - LD1452 (MS Powerpoint file, 25 pages)
• Report on the One-day Green Crab Trapping Survey conducted on August 27 and 28, 2013  (PDF file, 8 pages)

Current shellfish closures

• Current areas closed to the taking of shellfish due to pollution with a legal description and map of each area
• Current PSP (red tide) closures with a legal description and map of each area
• Up-to-date closure information is also available on the Maine Red Tide and Shellfish Sanitation Hotline page or by calling 1-800-232-4733 or 207-624-7727.

Other Information

• Statewide softshell clam landings provided to the Department by shellfish dealers
• For certification of clam rings, contact Weights and Measures at the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
• Intertidal mussel harvest guidance document and permit application

Program Laws and Regulations

The municipal shellfish program is governed by DMR Regulations Chapters 4 and 7, as well as in statute: Title 12,  §6671: Municipal shellfish conservation programs.