Citing a drastic decline in resources, the owner of a Freeport wholesaler of clams – one of only two in town – planned to close his business on Tuesday.
Garrett Simmons, who has run S&S Seafood on Litchfield Road since 1999, said that he has gone from handling more than a million pounds of clams three years ago to 300,000 pounds so far this year. Simmons, 51, said he has sold his home, which includes the business space, and will move to Florida near his parents to pursue a new career. A clammer himself, Simmons said that environmental conditions have taken too much of a toll on clams, which in turn harmed his business.
“Sea level and ocean temperature rise are real issues,” Simmons said. “If you follow the science – if there’s any credence to that – it isn’t going to be positive for the soft-shell clam business.”
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