Harvesting of whelks is prohibited in the Bay of Fundy year round. Bar clams are commonly found on the southern and western Gulf of St. Lawrence on clean, sandy bottoms at low tide levels. Bar clams are the largest species of clams found in the northwest Atlantic Region. They have a thick, chalky shell which is moderately inflated. The clam meat is shucked and minced for use in commercial clam chowders.
Harvesting takes place during the summer months using clam hacks or forks.
Contaminated The danger that contaminated coastal water may present to public health was the impetus for Canada's adoption of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program in 1948, and the development of the Canadaian Shellfish Sanitation Program CSSP . Under the CSSP, Environment Canada assesses and classifies the sanitary quality of coastal mollusc growing areas. Fishery Officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans enforce closure regulations and patrol closed areas. However, these signs could possibly be torn down or vandalized leaving a contaminated area unmarked. Once an area is closed, it is illegal to harvest marinemolluscs in the area, whether for recreational or commercial purposes.