The town of Brunswick municipal shellfish management program is overseen by the towns coastal resource manager. Brunswick has unique and progressive shellfish management program. The Town has approximately 1,600 acres of intertidal shellfish growing consisting of small bays and inlets along 61 miles of jagged coastline.
The town is one of the top 5 producers in softshell clams and is the number 1 producers of quahogs in the entire state of Maine. The economic value to the local community reaches into the millions of dollars. The ecological values of our healthy shellfish populations are priceless to the health of near shore marine ecosystems.
The town currently licenses 63 commercial shellfish harvesters, 15 student commercial harvesters and hundreds of recreational harvesters. License numbers are determined by conducting shellfish inventory surveys every other year. Licensed harvesters are vested into the program and must accumulate conservation hours annually to remain eligible to retain their license the following season.
The Coastal Resource Office and the local Marine Resource Officer conduct various enhancement, propagation, protection, and mitigation efforts each year. The Brunswick Marine Resource Committee is the management oversight committee assigned by the Brunswick Town Council. The Brunswick Marine Resource Committee meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm.
Below you will find reports pertinent to the management of the local shellfish resources.
A GUIDE TO SHELLFISHING IN BRUNSWICK
2021 Shellfish Initiative & Economic Analysis
2021 Shellfish Inventory Report
130th Legislature Airboat Noise Report
