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In a significant step to combat the dwindling population of short-neck clams, the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has initiated a stock enhancement programme.

About Short neck clam (Paphia malabarica)

It is a valuable bivalve and fast-growing species with a peak spawning season from December to February and a maximum lifespan of around 3 years.

Features

• Sexually matures in the first year at a carapace length of 30 mm. It is the main fishery resource of the brackish Ashtamudi Lake in Kerala, India
• It is India's first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery. The short-necked clam is a valuable resource in Lake Ashtamudi with significant economic and ecological importance.

Shells provide additional income: As a mineral resource, they are used in the production of cement and to produce carbide for use in welding.

• The clams are bought by a local factory, heat treated, frozen and sold to retailers and restaurants, with about 80% exported to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.
• Clam shell is also of commercial importance as a raw material for the production of cement, calcium carbide and sand-lime bricks.
• They are also used for lime burning in construction, rice fields and fish farms to neutralize acidic soil and as slaked lime.

Usage

• Human consumption: A popular delicacy, especially in Kerala where it is widely consumed.
• Shrimp feed: In states like Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and Andhra Pradesh, short-necked clams are used as part of shrimp feed.
• Industrial applications: Clam shells are used in the production of cement, calcium carbide, sand lime, and bricks.
• Importance of exports: Short neck clams along with Meretrix meretrix (yellow clams) contribute to 80-90% of total clam exports from India.
• The species is in significant international demand, increasing export income for local communities.

In recent years, fishing for this clam has witnessed a drastic decline, threatening the livelihood of thousands of fishermen who depend on this resource.

Reasons for its decline: Environmental pollution, the invasion of non-native species such as the charru mussel, and the effects of climate change, including altered salinity and water temperature, have greatly reduced clam populations.

About Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification

MSC is an international non-profit organization promoting sustainable seafood markets through certification and eco-labeling. In 2014, the shortneck clam fishery in Kerala's Ashtamudi Lake became the first Indian fishery and only the third in Asia to receive MSC certification.

The certification was achieved through the joint efforts of CMFRI, WWF, the State Fisheries Department, and the local fishing community.

About Ashtamudi Lake

It is a Ramsar Wetland of international importance and is the second-largest estuarine system in Kerala. It has extensive mangrove habitats harboring nearly 90 species of fish and 10 species of clams. The clam fishery in Ashtamudi dates back to 1981 and supports the livelihoods of around 3000 fishers involved in the collection, cleaning processing, and trading of the clams.

Source:

THE HINDU