Each year, nearly ten thousand people head to Connecticut’s coastal waters to harvest shellfish, including clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. It’s a popular pastime and it provides an inexpensive and healthy source of local seafood. Fifteen coastal towns offer permits for sale and have local bait and tackle shops where harvesting supplies can be purchased.
Learn more about:
- Permit Sales and Rules - Guide to Shellishing Along the Connecticut Coast
- Harvest Area Locations - Mapping Atlas
- Economic Impact - Catching Value Report
- Keeping it Cool - Brochure
About
Recreational shellfishing is offered in many of Connecticut's coastal towns. Each town sets its own rules including permit fees, species, seasons and catch limits. Always remember to have a cooler full of ice when heading out. Keep the shellfish cold and immediately transfer to refrigerator upon return.
Guide to Recreational Shellfishing in Connecticut (2024 coming soon!)
Shellfish Harvest Area Maps (select "recreational shellfish beds" from the layer list and zoom to your town)
Management Guidance State Regulatory Guidance Documents Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Manual
Did you know?
- Revenue from permit sales alone contributes greater than $100,000 to the local economy.
Annual Gathering of Shellfish Commissions
Organized by Connecticut Sea Grant, this meeting covers all aspects of local shellfisheries management and features regulatory guidance from the Department of Agriculture/Bureau of Aquaculture. Contact: tessa.getchis@uconn.edu or (860) 405-9104.
| Year | Event Agenda | Presentations: | |
| 2024 | 20th Annual GSFC Meeting | Thomas (art of wampum) Dragan (conditional area management), Bienlien (shellfish diseases) Marquis (DoAG website) Gilman & Macklin (shell recycling) | |
| 2023 | 19th Annual GSFC Meeting | Dragan (conditional area management), Marquis (HAB, diseases, Vibrio) Getchis (shell restoration), Gilman-Macklin (shell recycling) | |
| 2022 | 18th Annual GSFC Meeting | Dragan (conditional area management), Marquis (HAB, diseases, Vibrio), Getchis (restoration), David (natural beds), Brown-Dragan (pumpout program), Surabian (coastal zone soil survey) | |
| 2021 | 17th Annual GSFC | VanGulick (HAB), VanGulick (Cyanobacteria), Dragan (Conditional area mgmt) and handout, DeRosia-Banick (disease update), Getchis (restoration) Getchis/DeRosia-Banick (climate) | |
| 2020 | 16th Annual GSFC agenda | Barrett (climate) Haynes )(plastics), DeRosia-Banick, Dragan (Conditional area mgmt, Carey, Van Gulick (HAB) | |
| 2019 | 15th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2018 | 14th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2017 | 13th Annual GSFC agenda | DeRosia-Banick, Yeadon, Dragan, Pomeroy, Concepcion, Getchis | |
| 2016 | 12th Annual GFSC agenda | Brysh, DeRosia-Banick, Getchis, Macklin, Nikituk, Savona Surabian, UConnEngr, Yang | |
| 2015 | 11th Annual GSFC agenda | Getchis, Pawlik, DeRosia-Banick, Pomeroy, Chadwick | |
| 2014 | 10th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2013 | 9th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2012 | 8th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2011 | 7th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2010 | 6th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2009 | 5th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2008 | 4th Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2007 | 3rd Annual GSFC agenda | ||
| 2006 | 2nd Annual GSFC | ||
| 2005 | 1st Annual GSFC | ||
| 2001-2004 | Eastern Commission Meetings |