Recently, Seattle Fish Company had the privilege of visiting the Aquacultural Research Corporation (ARC) facility in Cape Cod, MA. ARC was founded in 1960 and has operated continuously at its Chapin Beach location in Dennis, Cape Cod, MA, since that time. Seattle Fish Company has an exclusive regional partnership with ARC to supply their clams, including topnecks, cherrystones and Aquagems (a specialty hors d'oeuvre clam).

Wild Clams

Several things set ARC apart from other wholesale distributors. Most notably they do not purchase or grow any product outside of Cape Cod waters, and their packing facility includes wet storage, allowing them to bring product in off the flats and place it back into a system of running water from salt water wells. This means that the inventory is always fresh and ensures customers that they can consume this product raw with complete safety.

Farmed Clams

A staff of marine biologists, engineers and technicians culture the clams and monitor quality from hatchery right up to shipping. This team selects parent stock that are carefully bred in its shellfish hatchery and reared in specially designed tanks and systems. Large volumes of unicellular clam food are cultured in a greenhouse-enclosed pond and in a climate-controlled room in a laboratory to feed larval and juvenile shellfish. Following larval stages, young clams are moved to an indoor nursery system where heated seawater and the cultured food produce accelerated growth before transfer to protected field cages. Final growout occurs in a natural bottom in certified tidal areas on Cape Cod to ensure pure natural flavor and highest quality.

View the Hardshell Clams product page for more information.

Check out our recent visit to ARC.