Shellfish and Invertebrates

Information below pertains to the following species:

Season Dates

Fishing seasons vary depending on area. Please call the nearest DFO Office or check the Maritimes Orders Registry for up-to-date openings and closures before harvesting shellfish.

Clam Harvesting Areas

The Maritimes Region is divided into seven Clam Harvesting Areas (CHAs).

Nova Scotia – Bay of Fundy, Atlantic Coast and Bras d'Or lakes

• CHA 1: Inland and tidal waters of the counties of Colchester, Cumberland and Hants that border on and flow into the Bay of Fundy
• CHA 2: Inland and tidal waters of the counties of Annapolis, Digby and Kings
• CHA 3: Inland and tidal waters of Yarmouth County
• CHA 4: Inland and tidal waters of the counties of Shelburne, Queens and Lunenburg and that portion of Halifax County West of Pennant Point (as defined in the Territorial Sea Geographical Coordinates Order (C.R.C., c. 1550), Schedule I, Area 4)
• CHA 5: Inland and tidal waters of Guysborough County and that portion of Halifax County East of Pennant Point (as defined in the Territorial Sea Geographical Coordinates Order (C.R.C., c. 1550), Schedule I, Area 4)
• CHA 6: Inland and tidal waters of the counties of Richmond and Cape Breton, all of Victoria County except that portion between Cape North and Inverness County and that portion of Inverness County that borders on the Bras d'Or lakes

New Brunswick – Bay of Fundy

• CHA 7: Inland and tidal waters of the counties of Charlotte, Saint John and Albert that flow into the Bay of Fundy

Minimum shell length  (per the Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations, and subject to any variation orders that may be in place)

• Bar clam: 76 mm - all CHAs
• Bay quahaug: 38 mm - all CHAs
• Razor clam: no size limit
• Softshell clam:
• 44 mm - CHA 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7
• 50 mm - CHA 5

Daily Limits (per the Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations, and subject to any variation orders that may be in place)

• CHA 1: daily limit is 100 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 2:
  • Annapolis Basin: daily limit is 100 clams/quahaugs in total
  • Remainder of CHA 2: daily limit is 200 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 3: daily limit is 200 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 4:
  • Shelburne County: daily limit is 150 clams/quahaugs in total
  • Remainder of CHA 4: daily limit is 300 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 5: daily limit is 300 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 6: daily limit is 300 clams/quahaugs in total
• CHA 7: daily limit is 100 clams/quahaugs in total

Gear Restrictions

Hand and handheld tools only

Licensing

No licence required for recreational harvest

Season Dates

Fishing seasons vary depending on area. Please call the nearest DFO Office or check the Maritimes Orders Registry for up-to-date openings and closures before harvesting shellfish.

Areas

Fishing for mussels in the Bay of Fundy is prohibited.

Limits

300 mussels per day

Licensing

No licence required

Season Dates

• Normally September 15 to November 30 (refer to licence conditions)
• Fishing seasons vary depending on area. Please call the nearest DFO Office or check the Maritimes Orders Registry for up-to-date openings and closures before harvesting shellfish.

Areas

No recreational oyster fishing permitted in Cape Breton Island, including the Bras d’Or Lake.

Daily Limit

25 oysters per day

Size Limit

Minimum size is 76mm

Gear Restrictions

• Tongs or rakes only
• No diving permitted

Licensing

• Licence required
• Currently limited to existing licences only

All recreational scallop fishing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick requires a DFO licence and is subject to closures which are specified in the conditions of licence. Please call the nearest DFO Office or check the Maritimes Orders Registry for up-to-date openings and closures before harvesting shellfish.

Season Dates

Season dates vary by area and are specified in licence conditions

Gear Restrictions

Dip, dive or tong

Limits

• The minimum scallop size that may be retained is based on shell height, varies by area and is specified in licence conditions.
• The daily scallop bag limit is 100.

Reporting

Required, per licence conditions

Licensing

• A DFO licence is required and available in the National Online Licensing System. The licence cost is $10 (plus HST).
• The DFO licence is valid from Cape North, Cape Breton, NS to the Canada/US border in NB (Scallop Fishing Areas 28A, 28B, 28C, 28D and 29).

Marine worm harvesting is conducted by hand or with hand-held tools on mud flats throughout Maritimes Region. For management purposes, the Region is divided into six “marine worm harvest areas” (MWHAs). These are described in detail in licence conditions. Recreational licences are available on an open-entry basis. (MWHA 2 and MWHA 3 are managed as one area, and access under a licence is for both.)

Season Dates

• The season runs from January 1^st to December 31^st.
• It is subject to closed times in designated areas at certain times of the year.
• Closed times and areas are updated annually and are listed in licence conditions.

Limits

• The minimum marine worm size that may be retained is 2.5 grams in MWHA1 and 3.0 grams in all other areas.
• The daily marine worm daily marine worm bag limit and daily marine worm possession limit is 50.

Areas

The harvest is limited to designated mud flats within each MWHA.

Licensing

A DFO licence is required and available in the National Online Licensing System. The licence cost is $10 (plus HST).