Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
It is now illegal to possess or transport gold clams in California.
The California Fish and Game Commission has designated the golden clam as a restricted species, the latest salvo in the fight to preserve invasive species out of the state’s waterways. The mussels considered an immediate threat to the ecological health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and California waterways.
The emergency restrictions passed at the commission’s Dec. 11-12 meetings in Sacramento add the clam to the list of species restricted from live import, transport and possession.
“Placing golden mussels on the restricted species list is an important first step toward limiting and preventing the spread of this non-native species,” said Jay Rowan, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fisheries Branch.
Authorities say golden mussels are a greater threat to California waters than other mussels because they can thrive in a wider range of water quality conditions.
State and local authorities have been on high alert for the golden clam since it was first spotted in mid-October in the Port of Stockton.
The Oct. 17 discovery was the first in North America, California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said.
The clams, native to China and Southeast Asia, likely found their way to California waters on large ships.
The emergency listing will reduce the ability for people to introduce the clams to other waters in the state, Fish and Wildlife officials say.
The mussels easily get into live wells, bilges and ballast tankswatercraft engine systems, plumbing and other compartments on board boats. The mussels can survive for a longer time in the water that collects in the vessel’s system
Since the Stockton discovery, local governments, including Solano County, have stepped in travel restrictions and quarantines on jet skis sailing from the delta.
In November, Solano County banned personal watercraft traveling from the Delta from launching in Lake Berryessa without a 30-day quarantine or cleanup.
2024 The Sacramento Bee. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Quote: California bans invasive gold mussels in fight to keep species out of water (2024, December 23) retrieved December 23, 2024 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair trade for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.
