Edgartown
The finest “little neck” fishery in Massachusetts is found in Katama Bay, in the town of Edgartown. Two-fifths of the entire catch are “little necks.” The most productive grounds are situated in the lower part of Katama Bay, while quahaugs are also found in Edgartown harbor and in Cape Poge Pond, the total area of these localities comprising 1,800 acres.
The fishing is mostly done from power dories or sail boats with basket rakes. Poles from 20 to 25 feet long are used, as the water over the beds is less than 20 feet deep. Some quahaugs are taken in the shallow water with small claw rakes. The catch is shipped to the New York and Boston markets.
The quahaug industry of Edgartown is the best-regulated shellfish industry in Massachusetts. If excellent care had not been taken of the “little neck” fishery of Katama Bay by enforcing a size limit of 1½ inches, through the employment of a special shellfish warden, the quahaug fishery of Edgartown would have been ruined long ago by the exportation of small “seed” quahaugs. To-day the number of small quahaugs which are returned to the water greatly exceeds the amount of marketable quahaugs taken. This is the only case in Massachusetts where the quahaug fishery, by careful regulations of the town, has maintained an undiminished supply. If other towns had taken similar care of their quahaug fisheries in the past, the general decline of the industry in this State would never have become so serious.
The following is a copy of the shellfish permit, which every Edgartown quahauger is required to take out, at the cost of $2, before he can rake quahaugs for market. Any man over sixty years old obtains his permit free. This permit should serve as a model for other towns.
Shellfish Permit.
Town of Edgartown, Selectmen’s Office, 190_.
In consideration of having received from ____ of Edgartown the sum of $2, permission is hereby granted to him to take from any of the waters of this town daily, between sunrise and sunset, twenty-five bushels of scallops or clams, including shells, and four bushels, including shells, of quahaugs; of these four bushels, not more than two bushels are to be of the size known as “little necks.”
The acceptance of this permit constitutes an agreement by the holder thereof that he will, and that any other person who for the time being has or shall have in his custody or possession any building, boat, barrel, box, tub, crate or other vessel or receptacle containing or suitable for or capable of containing shellfish, and belonging to or under the control of the holder of this permit, shall, at any time or place when requested so to do by either of said selectmen or by their authorized agent, or by any constable or fish warden of said town, or by any other officer authorized to enforce the laws relating to shellfish or shellfisheries in said town, open any such building, boat, barrel, box, tub, crate or other vessel or receptacle, and fully expose to them or either of them the contents thereof for inspection; and if the holder of this permit or such other person as aforesaid, when so requested, refuses or neglects so to do, said selectmen may revoke this permit or suspend the same for any stated time, at their discretion.
The holder of this permit is subject to the regulations for the taking of eels and shellfish as made and posted by the selectmen, and also to any additional regulations which said board may hereafter make and publish.
If the person having this permit for the taking of shellfish violates any law of the Commonwealth or any regulation now or hereafter made by said selectmen, relating to shellfish or shellfisheries in said town, said selectmen may revoke said permit, or suspend the same for any stated time at their discretion.
No person is allowed by law to take from the waters of said town, or to sell or offer for sale, or to have in his possession, any “little neck” clams or quahaugs measuring less than one and one-half inches across the widest part. Any person violating this provision of law is liable to a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.
This permit will expire April 1, 190, unless sooner revoked.
Selectmen of Edgartown.
Ernest Ingersoll in 1879 makes the following statement concerning the quahaug fishery of Martha’s Vineyard:—
Martha’s Vineyard used to be bordered by good quahaug ground, but I am not aware that many are caught there now. In an old book I find the following allusion to it: “The poquau (Venus mercenaria) is found in Old Town Harbor, at Cape Poge, and in Menemsha Pond: great quantities are exported.”
A. Howard Clark in 1879 says:—
Soft clams and quahaugs are abundant in the harbor, and are used by the fishermen for bait.... Three hundred bushels of quahaugs and sea clams, valued at $150, were taken during the year 1879.
If such were the conditions in 1879, the industry has had a great development. To-day Edgartown is one of the best quahaug towns of the State, and produces the finest “little necks.” Comparing the production figures of 1879 and 1907, a great increase is noted:—
Production, 1879.
| Bushels, | 300 |
| Value, | $150 |
Production, 1907.
| Bushels, | 20,000 |
| Value, | $32,000 |
Summary of Industry.
| Area of quahaug territory (acres), | 1,800 |
| Number of men, | 70 |
| Number of boats, | 42 |
| Value of boats, | $10,500 |
| Number of dories, | 18 |
| Value of dories, | $450 |
| Value of implements, | $1,050 |
Production.
| “Little necks”:— | |
| Bushels, | 8,000 |
| Value, | $20,000 |
| Quahaugs:— | |
| Bushels, | 12,000 |
| Value, | $12,000 |
| Total:— | |
| Bushels, | 20,000 |
| Value, | $32,000 |