Clam fisheries differ by species, geography, and measurement. Maine’s softshell clam record shows annual landings, nominal dockside value, and average price from 2019 through 2025, while Massachusetts’ 2021 record shows monthly northern quahog landings and ex-vessel value. Maine aquaculture figures add a separate view of hard clam and quahog production.
Contents
- Maine softshell clam landings
- Maine softshell clam value and price
- The 2019–2025 Maine pattern
- Massachusetts hard clam seasonality
- Massachusetts monthly ex-vessel value
- Maine hard clam and quahog aquaculture
Maine softshell clam landings
The Maine Department of Marine Resources’ HISTORICAL MAINE SOFTSHELL CLAM LANDINGS reports both metric tons and clam meat pounds. These are different presentations of the same annual landings record, so they should not be added together. The source marks the 2025 figures with an asterisk; that source notation is retained here. Maine Department of Marine Resources, HISTORICAL MAINE SOFTSHELL CLAM LANDINGS
| Year | Landings (metric tons) | Clam meat landings (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 725.14 | 1,598,639 |
| 2020 | 612.04 | 1,349,308 |
| 2021 | 700.62 | 1,544,580 |
| 2022 | 636.41 | 1,403,029 |
| 2023 | 526.85 | 1,161,504 |
| 2024 | 531.77 | 1,172,349 |
| 2025* | 572.65 | 1,262,467 |
In metric tons, Maine recorded 725.14 in 2019, followed by 612.04 in 2020. Landings rose to 700.62 metric tons in 2021 and then declined to 636.41 in 2022. The next two years were lower: 526.85 metric tons in 2023 and 531.77 in 2024. The 2025 source-marked figure was 572.65 metric tons.
The meat-pound series follows the same annual ordering: 1,598,639 pounds in 2019, 1,349,308 in 2020, 1,544,580 in 2021, 1,403,029 in 2022, 1,161,504 in 2023, 1,172,349 in 2024, and 1,262,467 pounds in 2025*. For readers comparing seafood supply across years, the metric-ton series is useful for broad mass comparisons, while the meat-pound series is a familiar kitchen and market measure.
Maine softshell clam value and price
The Maine table reports nominal dockside value, meaning the figures are stated in the dollars reported for each year rather than adjusted here for inflation. It lists $18,282,370 in 2019, $15,825,823 in 2020, and $25,388,595 in 2021. The reported value then measured $18,633,019 in 2022, $14,853,158 in 2023, $15,619,187 in 2024, and $21,591,878 in 2025*.
Average price per pound varied alongside those values. Maine softshell clams averaged $2.33 per pound in 2019 and $2.39 in 2020. The average reached $3.35 in 2021, then was $2.71 in 2022, $2.61 in 2023, $2.72 in 2024, and $3.49 in 2025*.
The highest reported average price in this series was $3.49 per pound in 2025*, followed by $3.35 in 2021. The lowest was $2.33 in 2019. Because the value figures are nominal and the price figures are annual averages, they describe the reported fishery economics for each period; they do not measure retail restaurant prices or inflation-adjusted purchasing power.
The 2019–2025 Maine pattern
Maine’s softshell statistics show why volume and value should be read together. The strongest reported landing volume was 2019 at 725.14 metric tons, but the strongest reported nominal dockside value was 2021 at $25,388,595. In 2021, landings measured 700.62 metric tons and the average price was $3.35 per pound. The 2025* record had less volume than 2019—572.65 metric tons—but a higher average price of $3.49 per pound and a reported nominal value of $21,591,878.
The 2023–2025 sequence is also useful for context. Metric-ton landings were 526.85 in 2023, 531.77 in 2024, and 572.65 in 2025*. Meat landings were 1,161,504, 1,172,349, and 1,262,467 pounds across those same years. Reported nominal value moved from $14,853,158 to $15,619,187 and then $21,591,878, while average price moved from $2.61 to $2.72 and then $3.49 per pound.
These figures are fishery-level statistics, not a direct forecast for what a diner will pay for a bowl of chowder, fried clams, or a plated coastal dish. They are most useful for understanding the scale of the Maine softshell clam harvest and the dockside market attached to it.
Massachusetts hard clam seasonality
Massachusetts reported monthly live-pound landings for northern quahog hard clams in 2021. The figures come from the March 2, 2023 Shellfish Advisory Panel Meeting Materials (Final), which presents the 2021 monthly record. Massachusetts, March 2, 2023 Shellfish Advisory Panel Meeting Materials (Final)
The year began with 183,672 live pounds in January and 113,783 in February. Landings increased to 219,845 pounds in March and 197,322 in April, then rose to 348,833 in May. June reached 453,739 live pounds, followed by 527,906 in July and the annual monthly high of 545,773 in August.
After August, Massachusetts reported 343,332 live pounds in September, 301,596 in October, 271,051 in November, and 221,780 in December. The monthly record therefore shows a pronounced midyear peak, with August the highest reported month and February the lowest reported month.
| Month in 2021 | Northern quahog landings (live lb) |
|---|---|
| January | 183,672 |
| February | 113,783 |
| March | 219,845 |
| April | 197,322 |
| May | 348,833 |
| June | 453,739 |
| July | 527,906 |
| August | 545,773 |
| September | 343,332 |
| October | 301,596 |
| November | 271,051 |
| December | 221,780 |
These are live pounds of northern quahog hard clams, not Maine softshell clam meat pounds. The species and measurement basis matter when using the numbers in menu planning, fisheries comparisons, or seasonal storytelling.
Massachusetts monthly ex-vessel value
The same Massachusetts source reports ex-vessel value by month. January 2021 had an ex-vessel value of $260,529, followed by $163,735 in February and $285,750 in March. April measured $371,047, May $613,933, and June $724,353.
Value reached $909,723 in July and the monthly high of $964,731 in August. It then declined to $518,540 in September, $432,525 in October, $339,799 in November, and $326,172 in December.
The value sequence broadly tracks the landing sequence: the lowest reported monthly value was February, and the highest was August. That pairing gives coastal cooks and seafood readers a clearer picture of the market calendar than either landings or value alone. Still, ex-vessel value is a fishery-level measure at the point of sale from harvesters; it is not a wholesale, restaurant, or consumer price.
For quick reference, the Massachusetts 2021 turning points were:
- Lowest monthly landings: 113,783 live pounds in February.
- Highest monthly landings: 545,773 live pounds in August.
- Lowest monthly ex-vessel value: $163,735 in February.
- Highest monthly ex-vessel value: $964,731 in August.
The monthly values should be kept tied to 2021 and to Massachusetts northern quahog hard clams. They do not establish a general price for all clams or for later years.
Maine hard clam and quahog aquaculture
Maine aquaculture records provide a separate production category for hard clam and quahog. The MAINE AQUACULTURE LANDINGS REPORT lists 0 live pounds and a reported value of $0 in 2021. In 2022, it lists 2,721 live pounds with a reported value of $8,528. In 2023, the reported quantity was 1,416 live pounds and the reported value was $2,750. For 2025, the report lists 0 live pounds and a reported value of $0. Maine Department of Marine Resources, MAINE AQUACULTURE LANDINGS REPORT
| Year | Hard clam/quahog aquaculture (live lb) | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | $0 |
| 2022 | 2,721 | $8,528 |
| 2023 | 1,416 | $2,750 |
| 2025 | 0 | $0 |
These aquaculture figures should not be combined with Maine’s softshell clam landings. They cover hard clam/quahog aquaculture, use live pounds, and come from a different report category. The 2024 aquaculture figure is not included in the supplied record, so no value or production estimate is stated for that year. Likewise, the 2025 entries are reported as zero in the source and are not interpreted here as a broader statement about every clam activity in Maine.
For a coastal kitchen, the practical takeaway is that “clams” is not one uniform statistical category. Maine softshell landings, Massachusetts northern quahog landings, ex-vessel value, and Maine aquaculture each describe a different combination of species, place, period, and measurement. Keeping those distinctions visible makes the numbers more useful alongside recipes and regional seafood traditions.