There were no restrictions. We'd go behind our house, because the Chaleur Bay shoreline across from northern New Brunswick was open to the community for softshell clam harvesting. It was part of our heritage. Softshell clam harvesting is the same thing as going on a partridge hunt.
The best thing about the Gaspésie is that each season is unique. Spring is softshell clam harvesting season, fall is hunting season and summer is fishing season. Softshell clam harvesting is an ancestral indigenous tradition handed down by our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They taught us how to harvest softshell clams. However, as you mentioned, the federal government declared a moratorium and shut everything down. We had to fight to open some small sites. However, none of the municipalities had waste water treatment plants.