Many people around the state are creating ways to support local farmers and fishermen during the current health crisis. Farmers have switched to grab and go pre-packed bags or home deliveries of ordered supplies, but are trying to keep up with the growing harvest as spring advances. Fishermen, too, are looking at the season where they usually bring in much of their catch and wondering who is going to buy it. Restaurants and overseas markets are not open now, so they are reliant on retail sales, which typically make up only a small proportion of their profit.

For the last couple of weeks, I have written about opportunities to buy fish. But, many of these efforts have left out one sector of the fishery – shellfish. This is primarily because sales of shellfish are strictly controlled due to potential human health issues. Maine’s Department of Resources (DMR) is the agency that is in charge of monitoring water quality conditions that could make shellfish unsuitable for consumption. The state may close areas to shellfish harvesting if there are particular types of bacteria in the water or blooms of harmful algae species. The DMR does this through working with licensed shellfish dealers in the state. That includes testing at those facilities to make sure their products are safe to eat. All that equates to the fact that harvesters are not allowed to directly sell to consumers unless they sell from their home or to a licensed shellfish dealer.

That puts the burden of consumer sales on the shellfish dealer and this is something that is typically only a very small portion of their business. According to Ray Trombley who owns Casco Bay Shellfish in Brunswick, about 90% of their business is wholesale. Those sales go to restaurants in Maine and also go to places out of state. The remaining 10% goes directly to consumers. Now, he’s continuing to try to make it work, but trying to reverse that dynamic. It’s a very different business model. “I don’t even have a sign on Bath Road,” says Trombley, “because we aren’t a consumer-based shop.” His shop is based on Thomas Point Road, so it is a bit off the beaten path. But, he wants to keep buying from the harvesters if he can sell the product.

Because there is often a greater consumer demand for lobster, Trombley is trying out combining sales of lobster and shellfish on the weekends. The hope is that people who might not otherwise buy fresh shellfish might think about it differently if promoted along with lobster. He’ll be selling out of his shop, which is already open seven days a week. The offerings include soft-shell steamer clams and oysters along with lobster and crab. He’s hoping to add scallops and quahog clams as the season goes forward. “Littlenecks are so delicious and people here don’t know them,” says Trombley. “Down in Rhode Island, restaurants serve tons of them, but they’re not a thing in Maine.” People know quahogs primarily as chowder clams, not the sweet, small delicacies that littlenecks can be. But, he’s hoping that maybe more people will try them now.

The goal is to keep some of the harvesters out there bringing in healthy shellfish from Maine waters by getting consumers to buy them. It’s really tough, though, when the price around $2 per pound for steamers. “That’s about half of what it usually is this time of year,” says Trombley. As a result, fewer people are out harvesting because it’s hard to earn enough. “I only have ten to twenty diggers coming in right now, when I had close to thirty-five back in February,” he adds.

Right now, there’s enough to keep Casco Bay Shellfish open along with a couple of other local places like Moody’s Seafood in Brunswick and Cantrell’s in Topsham. Moody’s isn’t doing their usual restaurant business, but is still open for sales of fresh seafood. If you can, maybe this is a good time to diversify what you eat. It means a trip by a local seafood shop rather than braving a big store right now and it’s something fresh, local, and supporting people here in our town.