Assessment Of Surf Clam Stocks In Nearshore Waters Along The Delmarva Peninsula And In The Fishery South Of Cape Henry

In 1974 the abundance of surf clams was sampled from Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware south to North Carolina. Surf clams were not found in commercial densities in the inshore waters along the Delmarva Peninsula. Off shore and south of Cape Henry, an area of intense surf clam fishing, the estimated standing crop was IO million bushels. A length-age relationship was estimated and it implies that recruitment to the fishery occurs at approximately age 2, at an average annual rate of about 8%. It is concluded that because of the low recruitment rate relative to the heavy fishing pressure that Virginia surf clam stocks have been overharvested in recent years