Community Clam Farming

In early 2009, the Marshall Islands Mariculture Farm (MIMF) and the Marshall Islands Conservation Society (MICS) started a joint project to empower several local communities to generate income through locally managed clam farming with the intent of making the community less dependent on the depleting marine resources.

With the assistance of the University of Hawaii’s Sea Grant this project was able to distribute juvenile clams to several community’s and protected areas within Majuro Atoll namely Laura, Long Island, Rairok, Enemanit and Bokollap. The main species that are selected specifically for the project are Derasa and Maxima for their high requests in the local markets. Training is also provided to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the stocks that are installed within the sites.

For each site, 500 Derasa and 500 Maxima clams were distributed. At the time of harvest, usually an average fatality of 20% is counted, not all clams will be accounted for due to lack of sea water circulation and predators such as the sea snail. To help decrease this mortality rate, community members are to attend to their clams at least two (2) times weekly.