Harvest Info

Manilla clams are harvested by members of the Squaxin Island Tribe during regularly scheduled digs.  The Squaxin Island Department of Natural Resources determines which beaches are harvested and when based on population surveys.  The clams are harvested primarily from Hammersley Inlet, but also from the other six inlets and inland waterways of South Puget Sound. Depending on the population surveys, each member is allowed to dig 140-190 pounds.

Salish Seafoods purchases the clams and transports them to a sink float located in deep water off shore on Squaxin Island in Peale Passage.  This float has a submersible floor that keeps the clams in 15-18 feet of water, ensuring cooler temperatures and steady flow.  The clams are held in the sink float for a minimum of two days for purging (spitting out the sand).  From there, the clams are pulled out by rotation, hand-processed and hand-packaged.