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BREWSTER – Brewster Selectmen have extended the town’s commercial razor clam pilot program until November 12th.
The slender shellfish are commercially harvested in other towns on the Lower Cape but the pilot program in Brewster began in June and ran through the end of September.
Shell fishermen in the program initially asked the town to extend the program until the end of the year, but the town didn’t want to harm the long-term health of the fishery.
Natural Resources Director Chris Miller said that extending the program won’t affect recreational fishermen.
“What they’re after, is either the steamers that are up along the shoreline or they’re going after the quahogs or the sea clams that are out in different areas where there are not razor clam fish,” said Miller.
To educate themselves more about the fishery, the town has given the nod to its Natural Resources Department to start a population study.
“We need to know what the population is in Brewster, where they are located and then come up with some kind of idea on what is a sustainable fishery,” said Miller.
Town officials asked their Natural Resources team to come back to the board with a proposal for a study.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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