There were two major takeaways from the presentations given during Shellfish Focus Day at the Maine Fishermen's Forum, held March 5 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The first is that climate change has shifted the industry and that further shifts can be expected. The second is that predator control -- more than just the European green crab -- has become a critical component of shellfish sustainability. The first day of the three-day event included a close look at the soft-shell clam industry -- critical to Lubec and the Cobscook community -- and featured speakers ranging from harvesters and wholesalers to regulators and academics. The goal was to help ensure the viability of both the market and those who earn a living by serving it.
     Right from the start presenters concentrated on how each can learn from another, hammering home the thought that what works in Penobscot and Waldo counties will also work in Washington and Hancock counties. The packed room included many harvesters, wholesalers and other industry insiders.
     Means of tracking down and identifying sources of contamination was first up. Speakers talked of using DNA testing to determine the origin of pollution; utilizing microbial tracking to find and fix pollution; and using computerized methods to pinpoint specific locations of contamination, allowing long‑term monitoring. That was followed by a presentation showing how quahog and oyster cultivation can be done in the same space and an analysis of Washington County clam flat productivity. University of Maine at Machias' Dr. Brian Beal led the audience step‑by‑step through a experimental study of the efficacy of "brushing" as a method to improve harvest levels, concluding that rising water temperatures have robbed the historic technique of its usefulness by upping predator access. The process, often included in conservation efforts, is based on placing hemlock and other cuttings into mud flats to provide a shelter from current flow so juvenile clams have a better opportunity to settle.
     One chart showed the rate at which various shellfish species purge themselves once exposed to toxins. Mussels headed the list as the fastest, with scallops at the bottom, requiring the most time once the water was cleared.
     Towards the end of the morning's presentations, a list was displayed of all those who had applied for and been granted funding for local efforts intended to help promote sustainability through Maine Shellfish Restoration and Resilience Awards, funded in part by the Maine Community Foundation. High on the list were Lubec's Amanda Lyons and the Lubec Shellfish Committee, with a project aimed at "wildstock enhancement and protection." The top of the slide included a quotation composed by Lyons as part of her grant application, reading, "Each passing year, the struggles become problems and problems become uncertainty. With all the research, data, experience and personal opinion, it is easy to lose track of the purpose: wildstock enhancement and protection. No wildstock, no harvester; no harvester, no product for the buyer."
     The afternoon session tackled the issue of emerging risks, starting with a talk on algal blooms with scary‑sounding scientific names. Biotoxins have been detected with increasing frequency, chiefly downstate, albeit infrequently at present. This was followed by a discussion of shellfish disease; the common element between the two was rising water temperatures.
     Kowl Kanwit of the Maine Department of Marine Resources started her presentation on animal sources of contamination by observing, "Poop is my life." When her proclamation got a laugh from the audience, she added, "If you get poop in your mouth, you can get sick. Dog poop is powerful stuff." She also pointed out, "Canada geese do very well with human development," showing a slide illustrating that species' dramatic growth in recent years. The question of horses and cows was discussed, with several speakers stating that human and canine waste was far more potent than that of other species, including both domestic and wild.
     The effect of just a few dog feces was again described, but so was the effectiveness of public education. One slide read, "Two or three days worth of droppings from a population of about 100 dogs can contribute enough bacteria to temporarily close a bay and all watershed areas within 20 miles to swimming and shellfishing." Several examples were discussed of flats that had been reopened after prolonged closure -- the common thread was an effort to help the public understand that uncollected canine feces jeopardized the ability of some to make a living.
     The day closed with a talk on how Gouldsboro works together with the Schoodic Institute to utilize research on clam flats as part of the local school's educational process, which includes an emphasis on "data literacy." Gouldsboro Shellfish Warden Mike Pinkham described a cost-saving seed‑growing process, partially operated by students, which included an over‑wintering phase with a 95% survival rate. A Gouldsboro student was quoted as saying, "If I could learn science like this every day, I'd be in."
     Pinkham also spoke of an issue where conflicting interests create a potential problem. "Clammers don't want to report where they harvested," he said, "because they don't want everybody else to go there." But he observed, if a batch was suspected of causing illness, the whole area might be shut down if the specific source could not be identified.
     Lewis Pinkham, chair of the DMR's Shellfish Advisory Council, gave the closing comments by providing an overview of that organization's efforts, in particular working with the DMR and the legislature toward water quality, resource management and public health. One part of its near‑term plan includes working with the Downeast Institute to build the Shellfish Resilience Lab. Pinkham showed listings of members -- four of whom currently hold commercial licenses, including Lubec's Amanda Lyons.