
03/03/2025
Back in 1955, Pismo Beach was a clammer’s paradise, where locals and visitors alike could dig up their daily limit of 200 clams per person. Before restrictions began in 1911, clams were so plentiful that they were shipped by train and even used as animal feed. But as demand skyrocketed, regulations tightened—by 1947, commercial harvesting was banned, and today, the limit is just 10 clams per person, each at least 4.5 inches long. Thanks to these conservation efforts, Pismo clams—once scarce from overharvesting—are finally returning to local shores.