As of 12:01 am Wednesday, March 12, the Ninilchik Beach areas from the north bank of Deep Creek to a marker approximately 3.2 miles north of the Ninilchik River are closed to clam digging.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Biologist Carol Kerkvliet explained the department’s decision to close the beach.
Kerkvliet: “We’ll go back to the beach this next spring and sample it again but we’re hoping to allowing the clams that are there to spawn and reseed the beach.”
She also explained that the department surveyed a series of random plots on the beaches, counting and measuring the clams found, and these were the findings.
Kerkvliet: “The number of age classes are fairly limited on this beach right now and so what we’re looking to see is a recruitment and a good spawning.”
Last year an emergency order was enacted that reduced the clam limits from 60 to 25 after April recorded the lowest razor clam abundance ever.
Assembly Member Charlie Pierce spoke about his experience last summer.
Pierce: “I went clam digging this year and I was embarrassed. I shouldn’t have been there I should have put every one of them back.”
The Department of Fish and Game will reassess the abundance of razor clams again this April and May.