Event Title
Intertidal clam surveys in the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area: recommendations for management
Description
In the Tofino Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, two intertidal clam beds were surveyed to obtain baseline data on species, abundance, biomass, and population structure, with a focus on commercially important clams. It appears that commercially important clams are located in small patches throughout the WMA in areas where the appropriate sediment sizes exist. In comparing the survey sites in the WMA to two active commercial clam beaches in Clayoquot Sound, it can be concluded that the clam densities per square meter at these sites are, in most areas, less than half of those found at some commercial clam beaches. Based on this study, it is unlikely that commercial harvest would be feasible in the WMA mudflats. The WMA advisory committee and harvest managers should take into consideration the small clam populations, their importance to the health of coastal ecosystems, and the ecological impacts of intensive harvest when making management decisions. Monitoring should continue at these two sites and additional surveys should be carried out, so the extent and abundance of commercially important clams in the WMA can be fully understood.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
8-3-2008 8:00 AM
Subject - LCSH
Clams--Density--Management--British Columbia--Vancouver Island
End Date
8-3-2008 5:00 PM
Session
Resource Management: Coastal British Columbia
Genre/Form
abstracts (summaries) (summaries)
Type
event
Geographic Coverage
Vancouver Island (B.C.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Keywords
clams, wildlife management area, population structure, harvest
Intertidal clam surveys in the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area: recommendations for management
In the Tofino Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, two intertidal clam beds were surveyed to obtain baseline data on species, abundance, biomass, and population structure, with a focus on commercially important clams. It appears that commercially important clams are located in small patches throughout the WMA in areas where the appropriate sediment sizes exist. In comparing the survey sites in the WMA to two active commercial clam beaches in Clayoquot Sound, it can be concluded that the clam densities per square meter at these sites are, in most areas, less than half of those found at some commercial clam beaches. Based on this study, it is unlikely that commercial harvest would be feasible in the WMA mudflats. The WMA advisory committee and harvest managers should take into consideration the small clam populations, their importance to the health of coastal ecosystems, and the ecological impacts of intensive harvest when making management decisions. Monitoring should continue at these two sites and additional surveys should be carried out, so the extent and abundance of commercially important clams in the WMA can be fully understood.