Clammers hit hard by virus restrictions

Closures and restrictions implemented to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic have hit local shellfish harvesters particularly hard. Restaurant closures -- particularly in the Portland, Boston and New York markets -- have killed demand for soft‑shelled clams, shutting down the buyers and eliminating what is, in many cases, a local family's primary source of income. At some time this will end, but at this point there is no end in sight.
Amanda Lyons of Lubec is blunt about this. "These guys are hurting," she says. Lyons is the chair of the Lubec Shellfish Conservation Committee -- the local governmental organization that looks after those who labor on the clamflats harvesting soft-shelled clams, most of which end up on restaurant plates in large markets farther south. According to Lyons, the local harvesters are "proud Mainers" who have no second job or other source of income, and most of those who do have other jobs work in the fishing industry, which is also shuttered. She estimates that within Lubec there are "somewhere between 15 and 25 families" suddenly without income and with very little in the way of financial reserves. "For most of them," she says, "it's all they know how to do. The buyers aren't buying, because they can't sell." The marketplace process has come to a standstill, leaving the most vulnerable in dire straits.
Some have tried selling directly to local residents, "but not so many are buying," says Lyons, "and it's nowhere near enough to put food on the table. I know one guy with a wife and a kid with $200 in his pocket. That's not going to last very long." It hits the older clammers harder, she adds, "because when they work, they can't work as fast as the younger guys," thus they have even fewer reserves. She mentioned giving one a can of kerosene "so he won't freeze."
Clamdiggers normally work alone, are self‑employed and have developed a spirit of independence that leaves them reluctant to ask for help, says Lyons. For the short-term, the help they need is with heating fuel and food. "They aren't likely to go to the food pantry." Lobstermen and most other fishermen have more in the way of resources, she says, "They can move things around and get by." Clamdiggers have a rake and a willingness to do back‑breaking work out on the flats any time the tide is out, including the dead of winter.
Both State Senator Marianne Moore and Rep. Will Tuell spoke of Governor Janet Mills' efforts to assist the fishing industry, which is also hard hit. After discussing the matter, Moore admitted that the governor's approach to helping the fishing industry will not directly benefit the clammers, who she observes "would give the shirt off their back to help someone else but would never ask for help."
There are opportunities for assistance. Suzette Francis, speaking as Lubec's deputy manager of the general assistance fund, urges people with a need to call the town office. While there is no guarantee that help can be provided within the rules of the ordinance, it is an important step. The town also manages the Senior Fuel Fund, which at this time is available only to those 65 and over. Select board Chair Carol Dennison says she is "looking into the legality of lowering the age restriction on a temporary basis," observing, "People have donated to this thinking it is for seniors." She is also considering how to simplify the general assistance application process.
Eleody Libby, executive director of the Lubec Community Outreach Center (LCOC), speaks plainly to the issue. "If you're hungry, call," she says, promising that it will be confidential. Although the center is now closed to visitors, arrangements can be made for deliveries. The LCOC can be reached at 733‑5262; leave a message and it will be returned. Additionally, parents with students in the Lubec school can have free meals delivered by contacting the school at 733‑5561 and leaving a message. Deliveries come twice each week and include food for breakfast and lunch.