Today, the quahog is by far the most economically important resource harvested from Narragansett Bay. At the turn of the century, though, oysters dominated commercial shellfishing in the bay. But the oyster population gradually declined after the 1920s, and at the same time the quahog fishery expanded.

By the 1950s, two groups of quahoggers were competing for the resource in the bay. The dredgers, who used boats to drag metal dredges across the bottom, could harvest large numbers of clams much faster than could the handrakers, who used their own muscle power to harvest quahogs with bullrakes and tongs. The handrakers complained that the dredgers were wiping out the quahog population, damaging clams, and putting the handrakers out of work. Eventually the handrakers won out, and today dredging in Narragansett Bay is severely restricted.

Significantly improved bullrakes, capable of harvesting quahogs from as far down as 70 feet, appeared in the early 1970s. (Tongs and older bullrakes could only be used in shallower waters.) Following this development, Rhode Island quahog harvests increased steadily—from about 1 million pounds in the early 1970s to about 3.5 million in 1980—and have remained in the vicinity of 3.5 to 4 million pounds per year ever since.

Pollution in Narragansett Bay affects the quahog industry because the filter-feeding process concentrates not only food particles but also many pollutants—including disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and toxic compounds. Thus, even pollutants that are present only in low levels in the water can accumulate to dangerous levels in filter feeders.

Parts of Narragansett Bay, including the Providence River and Mount Hope Bay, are permanently closed to shellfishing because of sewage contamination, as well as residual contaminated sediment. In addition, a portion of the upper bay is closed after rainfalls because antiquated "combined sewage" systems in Providence and other towns allow inadequately treated sewage to enter the bay during rainstorms.

Contaminated sediment and polluted water in Greenwich Bay have forced permanent shellfish closure in all of the bay's coves, and conditional closure throughout the rest of Greenwich Bay. In order to take advantage of Greenwich Bay's high shellfish productivity, R.I. Department of Environmental Manangement operates a transplanting progam, which moves the quahogs from contiminated waters to cleaner parts of the bay. This allows the shellfish to cleanse themsevles by filtering uncontaminated water, which, after a period of time, makes them safe for human consumption. For more information, contact Rhode Island DEM at 401-222-6800, or see the transplanting page.

The Bullrake

The bullrake consists of a sharp-toothed rake at the end of a pole that is adjusted in length according to the depth of the water. A handle on the surface end of the pole is used to push the rake into the sediments and harvest the clams. Once the quahogs are brought on board, they are sorted through a grate to select them for size.