PISMO BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item #12.A
Meeting Date: June 18, 2024
TITLE:
Clamming Education and Outreach Process
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a report on the City’s clamming education and outreach process and provide direction to staff as to which alternative(s) should be implemented.
DISCUSSION:
On June 4, 2024, the City Council directed staff to prepare a staff report providing information about clamming in the city. Staff prepared this report that defines what is required to clam legally in the Pismo Beach, what the City has done in the past to educate, outreach and enforce the rules, and what alternatives may be considered moving forward.
Rules for Clamming
The minimum legal size to keep any clam is 4 ½ inches in diameter. It typically takes clams five years to reach legal size. When clamming, it is important to keep in mind the following:
You must have a valid California ocean sport fishing license. You must have a (rigid) measuring device/gauge.
Clams must measure 4 ½ inches in diameter before they can be taken. If undersized, clams must be immediately reburied, two inches deep, in the area where dug.
There is a limit of 10 clams per day per person.
Clamming is permitted year-round – between ½ hour before sunrise and ½ hour after sunset.
Education, Outreach and Enforcement
Clamming in Pismo Beach began in the early 1900s when horse-drawn plows were used to rake the beaches. In the mid-1940s, Pismo Beach was considered the “Clam Capital of the World” and the popularity of clamming resulted in additional regulations on clamming activities to equal what is currently in place today.
City staff, predominantly the Police Department and Fire Department (Lifeguards), provide reactive education and outreach support to the community. Examples of those methods include contacting individuals on the beach when a concern is received, answering questions that are posed to staff about requirements to clam, and posting signage at beach access points that describe what is needed to legally clam. It should be noted that the majority of the contacts made by Public Safety are with tourists and visitors that are not aware of the clamming rules and regulations.
12.A-1Council Agenda 6-18-2024
In some instances, enforcement is needed to assist with educating people that are clamming in Pismo Beach. While some clamming enforcement activities in the city are provided by California State Parks or the California Department of Fish & Game, Table 1 lists a handful of instances when the Pismo Beach Police Department issued warnings or citations during the last three years.
Table 1. Pismo Beach Police Department Statistics
Date Location Warning /
Citation Fine / Penalty
July 30, 2021 585 Dolliver Street Citation 20 hrs comm svc July 4, 2022 100 block Pomeroy Avenue Citation $6,445
September 4, 2022 100 block Main Street Citation Dismissed September 10, 2022 100 block Hinds Street Warning $0
April 30, 2023 100 block Main Street Warning $0
July 1, 2023 100 block Hind Avenue Warning $0
July 5, 2023 100 block Main Street Citation $2,181
January 20, 2024 Cypress/Dolliver Streets Citation Filed as misdemeanor1
While each contact is treated independently from one another, the following factors are more likely to result in a citation being issued versus a warning: not having a valid sport fishing license, being a repeat offender, aggressive or offensive mannerisms to the officer that prevents educating, or having taken a significantly larger quantity of clams beyond the 10 limit per person.
Alternatives to Consider
Should the City Council desire to increase the education and outreach activities for clamming in the city, various options that are available include those outlined below.
Increase and Improve Signage: Based on staff’s recommendations, there are three locations that will benefit most from updated signage. Those locations are Main Street, Pomeroy Avenue and the Pier. Next steps may include assessing the City’s existing signage and providing additional information as well as a Spanish translation, redesigning the template, manufacturing new signs to replace the existing as well as the new locations with traditional metal signs and portable signage. Lastly, posting signage on the Pier pylons may also increase the City’s educations efforts with tourists and visitors.
Social Media Campaign: Staff can work with the City’s promotional and marketing consultants to create an updated video that can be shared via the City’s social media outlets. Similar to the video that was created approximately two years ago
1 Cited party has not yet appeared in court
12.A-2Council Agenda 6-18-2024
(visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiyuO6wLec) , the information could focus on what is required to clam legally and safely in Pismo Beach.
Partner with California State Parks for Outreach: Staff can contact the local district office to learn more about what their education, outreach and enforcement program entails and how the City can assist with enhancing the state’s outreach program in the Pismo Beach area.
Face-To-Face Outreach: The City can allocate additional resources during busier times of the week (e.g. weekends) to contact clammers about the importance of following the rules and why it is important to the future of clams in Pismo Beach.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council receive a report on the City’s clamming education and outreach process and provides direction to staff as to which alternative(s) should be implemented.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This report is for informational purposes only and has no fiscal impact. Any direction that is provided to staff may incur expenditures depending on the amount of additional work is needed or materials purchased.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
Submitted by:
Mike James, Assistant City Manager
City Manager Approval:
12.A-3Council Agenda 6-18-2024