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Common name - Atlantic sea/surf clam
Scientific name - Spisula solidissima
Average rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Visit Fishonline for the full range of options available for this species.
Consumer Information
Clams are versatile shellfish which you should only eat if they are from farmed sources (e.g. Manila or American hardshell clams) or harvested from the wild (e.g. carpet or razor clams) using sustainable manual methods such as hand gathering. They can be eaten raw, boiled, baked or fried and are most popularly made into clam chowder - a brothy soup, containing potatoes and other vegetables, and often cream. Clams, like many fish, were served in restaurants on Fridays to provide an option for Catholics who abstained from eating ‘meat’ on this day, as well as during important Christian periods such as Lent.
Summary
The surf clam stock is healthy and fished at a sustainable rate. Management practices have been in place since the 1980s which has helped to establish a healthy population. Hydraulic dredges remove prey species and undersized clams from the ecosystem, which has the potential to cause degradation. Where available, buy clams harvested using more sustainable harvesting methods, such as hand-collection. If unavailable, an alternative is hand-harvested cockles from Burry Inlet, an MSC certified fishery.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Visit Fishonline, the website for the seafood industry, for more detailed information about this species.