Baby clam

Paphia undulata

Baby clam, Undulate venus, Short-necked clam, Surf clam, Nylon clam

1. What is it?

Baby clams (Paphia undulata) are a type of marine bivalve mollusk found along sandy seabeds. Very little is known about their biology or their resilience to high fishing pressures. In Vietnam, the stock is considered to be overexploited.

2. How was it caught or farmed?

Baby clams are hand collected, which is a highly selective process. Therefore, the amount of bycatch is low and often restricted to the organisms living on the shell. There is no damage to benthic species or the benthic environment.

3.Where is it from?

Clams are caught in waters around Vietnam ( FAO 72) and imported into South Africa. A general fisheries management system is in place, but the management of this fishery is unknown as no management strategy is readily available.

THINK TWICE

Fishing Type: Hand collection

Origin: Imported - Vietnam

Collecting seafood by hand is very selective, so incidental bycatch is usually low and limited to the organisms living on the animals' shells. People collecting at low tide may cause some damage to the sea bottom by walking and dragging baskets over it.