Tri-County Vanguard

Clam harvesting meetings planned

- KATHY JOHNSON THECOASTGU­ARD.CA

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is holding three meetings in Shelburne on Dec. 10 and 11 to discuss clam harvesting in Shelburne County with various interest groups and a proposed pilot project that could see some area beaches that have been closed since 2014 re-opened for clam digging.

DFO officer Dan Fleck, who works on resource management for the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP), said the pilot program for Shelburne County is one of three being proposed across the country by CCSP partners Environmen­t and Climate Control Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and DFO.

“Each of the three partners have a role to play in the delivery of the CCSP,” said Fleck. “Environmen­t Canada they classify the waters, the CFIA they determine if the product is safe for human consumptio­n and DFO, we open and close areas based on recommenda­tions from Environmen­t Canada.”

The meetings are for anyone with an interest in the clam flats, said Fleck, and are an opportunit­y for the public to express an interest in exploring the pilot project and having an alternativ­e service delivery in the area. The end goal is to determine if there’s interest in having participat­ion in the program and having the beaches reopened for clam harvesting.

The Dec. 10 meeting for the Indigenous community is at 2 p.m. On Dec. 11 commercial clam harvesters and aquacultur­e people, or people interested in becoming involved in the commercial side of clam harvesting are invited to meet at 8:30 a.m. At 1 p.m. a meeting is scheduled for those who harvest recreation­ally or are interested in having the beaches open to improve the tourism industry.

All meetings are being held at the Shelburne Community Business Developmen­t Center at Enterprise Square on Water Street.

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