Where has all the chowder gone?

I have spent the last couple of days visiting friends up on Orrs Island, in Maine. The trip has been wonderful for the friends and good food (fresh soft shell lobster…mm) and beautiful scenery, but also illuminating on another level. Having spent most of the summer in China and then San Francisco, I was a little removed from local food politics here and was surprised to learn that Red Tide has wreaked particular havoc on shellfish farmers this year.

Red Tide, an algae that blooms most summers and can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans when ingested through infected shellfish, has been especially bad this summer due to weather conditions and has seriously affected the clam industry in Maine and other parts of the northeast. I first heard about this summer’s issue when we went out for lunch at a local lobster spot and our waitress told us to add $2 to anything that contained clams due to the summer’s shortage. I was intrigued and, researching the issue more at home and found this interesting Bangor Daily News article on how to minimize Red Tide losses. In case you’re wondering where this year’s clam bakes and chowder fests have gone, read on.