Duxbury Shellfish Regulations

1. The Signed Permit must be on the person of anyone in the act of harvesting shellfish, eels, or seaworms. The permit must be shown to the Harbor Master or his deputies when requested.

2. All shellfish, eels, or seaworms must be presented to the Harbor Master or his deputies when requested.

3.Where weekly limits of shellfish are set, the week begins on Monday.

4. No digging for shellfish, eels or seaworms allowed on Sundays during the months of June, July, and August.

5. Digging is with conventional tined tools only. No Shovels allowed. Hand power only.

6. No digging with hands only or with power tools.

7. DO NOT dig in or near grass and roots.

8. Night digging is prohibited. The legal hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise till 1/2 hour after sunset for all permitted shellfish or seaworms.

9. Shellfish must be removed intact from the digging areas. No shell removal is allowed.

10. If you make big holes, fill them in.

11. Clams : soft shelled or quahogs must be no less than 2 inches in longest shell length. Oysters must be 3 inches at greatest length.

12. No container larger than 12 quarts allowed on the beach when digging permitted species.

13. Permits are required for persons over the age of 14 unless with parents.  Only one 12 quart bucket allowed in digging area per permit.

14. Clam limits and seasons.

    a. Permit holders are allowed to harvest 12 quarts of shellfish per week.  (Exception is sea clams, the limit is 32 quarts per week per family)

    b. Quahogs, Littlenecks, cherrystones, mussels, and razor clams have a 12 quart per week limit. Season is year round.

    c. Soft shelled clams, Oysters and scallops are limited to 6 quarts per week and count toward your 12 quart total for any one week.

     1.Soft shell clams may only be harvested in the months of April, May, September and October on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. The Duxbury Board of Selectmen usually vote to open one day per week for soft shell clams during the winter months. (November - March)

     2. The Oyster season varies. Call  Harbor Master at 1-781-934-2866 for seasons.

15. No person living outside the permit holders residence shall dig any part of the permitted harvest.

16.  It is unlawful for a non-commercial permit holder to sell, destroy or barter any part of the allowed harvest.

17. The holders of permits issued for the digging and taking of shellfish, eels, and seaworms shall at all times adhere to and conform with the         Chapters I, II, and III of the Duxbury Shellfish Ordinance and to the provisions of Chapter 130 0f the General Laws and any subsequent amendments thereto.

Donald Beers

Harbor Master

Town of Duxbury

1-781-934-2866