Red Tide in New England helps Maryland

BALTIMORE, June 15 (UPI) -- An outbreak in New England of red tide, a toxic algae that makes clams dangerous to eat, is boosting sales of mollusks from the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland's tiny clamming industry is suddenly much more popular than usual among restaurants that can't get their normal supply out of fisheries from Massachusetts to Maine, the Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday.

"They want all we can get right now," said Bill Boulter, a longtime clammer who works his boat in waters near Kent Island.

Boulter is one of only about 30 clammers who now harvest an annual average of about 1,000 bushels from waters that used to yield about 680,000 bushels per year of clams.

New England's troubles have meant a 10 percent price premium for Maryland clams.

"We're doing as well now as we've done in a good while, thank the Lord," said Mike Hamilton, another Chesapeake Bay clammer.