The shellfish industry in Woolwich is in dire straights, said Shellfish Committee member Andy Cromwell in his address to the Woolwich Board of Selectmen December 19. To keep it alive, he asked the board for $1,200 to support enforcement costs.

Funds from the sale of municipal shellfish licenses pays for a shellfish warden to monitor activity on the flats. But the town did not sell enough. Cromwell said they were just three licenses ($1,200) short of their goal, which would pay shellfish warden John Hench for his time and efforts.

In addition, harvests over the past year have been down. 

“Town flats used to be very productive,” Cromwell said. He credits overfishing, under-management and a lack of adequate conservation work for the decline in clam populations. 

Remarking on recent news articles about a disease that is killing clams in Harpswell, Cromwell said researchers have extended their studies into Woolwich. “It means we can't take seed from those other flats,” he said, adding harvesters are concerned about contamination.

One possible solution would be to lease two-acre sections of mud flats to individuals. Currently, there is no such program, but Cromwell said it might help revitalize the flats. 

Harvesters are supposed to maintain and re-seed flats for future seasons, but he indicated that leased sites could motivate people to do more.

Woolwich has just a few clam diggers, according to Cromwell, and harvesting licenses often go to people who live in neighboring towns. 

While the few who do harvest soft-shell clams along its shores are able to get enough to sell, the lack of funds from the sale of licenses means the town's shellfish committee does not have enough money for enforcement. 

“I don't see how we can do it,” Board Chairman David King said. “Without a town meeting, I don't see how we can raise the $1,200.”

Selectmen could use some money from the town's contingency account, but King said he was reluctant to do so. He and other board members agreed to meet with the Shellfish Committee on January 22 to further discuss the issue.