A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of MassachusettsMassachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Science
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts
Massachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Shellfish fisheries -- Massachusetts
The two principal centers of the industry are in the Wareham River and
in Onset Bay. At Onset the whole bay, except the oyster grants, as
included between the southeast end of Mashnee Island and Peters Neck,
is used for quahauging. A few quahaugs are found in Broad Cove, and
fair digging is obtained in Buttermilk Bay and Cohasset Narrows. The
Wareham River, outside the oyster grants, and a narrow shore strip from
Weweantit River to Tempe's Knob, comprise the rest of the territory. In
Onset Channel a fine bed exists in deep water, 2 to 4 fathoms, but the
ground is so hard that not much digging is done.
It will be seen from the map that practically 75 per cent. of the
quahaug territory is taken up by oyster grants, especially in the
Wareham River and Onset Bay. Town sentiment is in a chaotic state
over the oyster and quahaug deadlock, and much friction naturally
exists between the opposing factions, the quahaugers and oystermen.
The struggle between these two parties was at its height several years
ago, and the enmity still continues, though not so openly, owing to the
decline of the quahaug industry. Rightly managed, affairs ought to be
so arranged that prosperity might be brought to both factions; but town
customs and town laws, poorly enforced at the best, are hardly able to
cope with this evil, which has resulted in much expense legally and
financially to both parties, and both industries are badly crippled in
consequence,--the oyster industry by lack of protection and the quahaug
industry by loss of grounds. It is hoped that in the future suitable
arrangements can be made for both industries, and that the quahaug
industry, which is at present declining, can be put on an equal footing
with the oyster industry, by granting licenses to plant and grow
quahaugs.
Most of the digging is done with garden rakes, potato diggers or by
hand. Some tongs are used, but few if any long-handled basket rakes,
since the digging is chiefly confined to the shallow water, not more
than 10 feet deep, except in Onset Channel, where it ranges from 12 to
24 feet.
No information or statistical records of the quahaug fishery of Wareham
can be obtained, and it is therefore impossible to draw any comparison
between the present industry and the industry of twenty-five years ago.
The decline of the quahaug fishery in Wareham is an established
fact. The production of 6,000 bushels for 1906 is far less than the
production of five years ago. Since 1901 the output has steadily
declined, and where the quahauger once was able to rake 5 bushels at
a tide, to-day he can rake scarcely 1 bushel in the same time. It
is only a question of a few years when the natural supply will be
completely exterminated. The only salvation of the industry in Wareham
is to increase the natural supply by quahaug farming.
SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY.
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