Paper short abstract:

Ancestral clam beaches are crucial for Indigenous Peoples in the Salish Sea but were devastated by colonial fisheries from the late 19th century onwards. Historical research can highlight historical overexploitation, establish baselines for recovery and aid in efforts to restore ancestral beaches

Paper long abstract:

Clams have been a critical part of the diet and culture of Indigenous Peoples in the Salish Sea since time immemorial. Over this long history, Indigenous communities have carefully tended and cared for ancestral beaches to increase productivity and species diversity. In stark contrast, settler colonial fisheries that began in the late 19th century used destructive methods to rapidly exploit clams for export-driven markets without regard for this legacy of clam tending, resulting in declining clam populations, habitats, and health across the region. Restoring ancestral clam today brings many benefits, including reasserting Indigenous governance, cultural reconnections, increased fisheries productivity, and promoting food sovereignty and climate resilience. Guided by the needs of project partners at the Sea Garden Restoration Project, this research aims to provide new historical data and insights to support community-driven restoration of ancestral clam beaches in the Salish Sea. This paper explores the ecological and social history of clam harvesting in the Salish Sea from 1880 to 1940. It will outline the exploitative practices of the settler colonial industry and explore how Indigenous land, knowledge and labour were directed away from traditional harvesting and towards unsustainable catches for commercial gain. It will also examine the impact of colonial industry on calm abundance and species distribution across the region. Finally, it explores how historical insights can aid in the ongoing restoration of ancestral clam beaches in the Salish Sea.