Using the Pumped Area Method for the Assessment of Recreational Razor Clam, Siliqua patula Populations in Washington State

Abstract

Since 1898, the Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula has represented an important resource for commercial and recreational diggers and has been an important source of economic revenue to coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest from central California to southern Alaska. In 1996, Washington State adopted the Pumped Area Method as the preferred method to accurately assess populations of razor clams on coastal beaches. The Pumped Area Method utilizes a water pump and a series of hoses to draw water out of the surf to liquefy the clam bed exposing clams so they can be measured and recorded. This method relies on a fixed stratified random sampling of transects across all managed beaches to produce a robust estimate of the total population of clams. The Pumped Area Method has been adopted by state and tribal management agencies along the west coast to determine the total allowable catch in each management area but never been formally described. This method in conjunction with a biweekly sampling of toxic algae abundance supports the sustainable harvest of razor clams, providing up to 40 million dollars annually in economic income to the state of Washington for the last 25 y.