#06–253 September 18, 2006
Season for oysters, clams set to open Sept. 16 in S.C.
The 2006-2007 season for harvesting oysters and clams will open Saturday,
Sept. 16.
Oyster and clam seasons will remain open through May 15, 2007, unless
conditions warrant extending or shortening the seasons. Season dates apply
to both recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting. Shellfish
harvesters may begin harvesting one-half hour before official until one-half
hour after official sundown.
According to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), commercial
landings last year totaled 31,600 bushels of oysters from state shellfish
grounds, which is the highest volume harvested from public grounds over the
last 10 years. Total shellfish landings last year averaged 82,000 bushels,
which is the same quantity tallied the previous year.
The DNR maintains 58 State Shellfish Grounds for commercial and recreational
harvesting of clams and oysters. Twenty Public Shellfish Grounds are managed
exclusively for recreational gathering and are posted with boundary signs.
The recreational limit is two U.S. bushels of oysters and one-half bushel of
clams in any one day. No person may gather more than one personal limit of
shellfish on more than two calendar days per any seven-day period. There is
a maximum possession limit of three personal limits per boat or vehicle or
boat and vehicle combination. Clams must be at least 1 inch in thickness.
Recreational harvesters should obtain updated Public Shellfish Ground maps
at the beginning of each season as boundaries may be modified from time to
time or areas previously open to harvest areas may have been closed by
pollution by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Maps
for these areas are downloadable from the DNR’s Web site at
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/shellfish/pubshell.html, or may be obtained
by writing Marine Resources Division, PO Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422.
Maps of State Shellfish Grounds, open to both commercial and recreational
harvesting, may be found on the Web at
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/shellfish/stateshell.html. All maps are
listed by county. For additional information, call (843) 953-9300.
South Carolina residents commercially harvesting on State Shellfish Grounds
are required to purchase a saltwater commercial license, a State Shellfish
Ground License and acquire permits from the DNR. Increased license fees are
required for non-resident harvesters. A Saltwater Recreational Fishing
License is required for residents and non-residents for all recreational
shellfish harvesting. Areas designated as Shellfish Culture permits cannot
be recreationally harvested unless the harvester has written permission from
the permit holder in their possession.
The public is reminded that shell recycling drop-off locations are
located in coastal counties, and collection sites can be found online at
http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/oyster.html, or by calling (843) 953-9300
to find the nearest location. Every shell that is recycled locally is cycled
back into the estuarine environment and helps to restore shellfish grounds
in coastal South Carolina. Of the 82,000 bushels that were landed during
last year’s shellfish season, 7,600 bushels, or less than 10 percent of the
total taken, were recycled by the public at DNR collection sites. Shells not
obtained locally are purchased from out of state vendors to ensure that
adequate amounts are collected for refurbishing public reef sites prior to
shellfish harvesting season.