BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 14, 2022
Deer Isle boasts some of the most productive clam flats in Maine. In 2019, the island raked in more than 600,000 pounds of soft shell clams, more than any other port in the state. But the Hancock County town and its neighbor, Stonington, have struggled to get enough members for their joint shellfish conservation committee that oversees the resource, raising concerns about the loss of local control over the two islands’ lucrative clam flats and the potential for out-of-town clammers to pick them clean.