Razor clam

There is very little information available about razor clams in the UK. There is concern for the population biomass and fishing pressure due to lack of data.The species caught as razor clams (Ensis spp.) in this fishery are data limited due to the lack of information relating to biomass and fishing pressure. Consequently, Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating. Razor clams are assessed as having low vulnerability to fishing pressure (10 out of 100).There is no stock assessment data for razor clams in the UK. Thus, at present, there is no data to guide sustainable fishing pressure or healthy biomass levels. Despite razor clams having low vulnerability to fishing pressure, it could take several years for commercial stocks to recover in an area due to intermittent recruitment and the slow growing nature of these species. Because of the lack of data, there is concern for stock biomass.An electrofishing trial has been underway in Scotland since 2018. Only data for razor clams that are landed in this fishery is recorded. Information about wild populations overall is not collated. Between 2018 and 2022, landings have ranged between 1 and 120 tonnes per month. From Jan 2021 to Jan 2022, the average value of landings was £7,800 per tonne. Landings per unit effort (LPUE), often used as a proxy for abundance, has been recorded throughout the trial. LPUE from 2018-2021 shows reductions in some areas. LPUE data for 2021 onwards has not been published. As there is no assessment of the sustainability of the fishery, there is concern for fishing pressure.

Razor clams caught using dredges in Scottish waters receive a critical fail rating as fishing for them using this method is prohibited. Therefore, management is not assessed in detail.