A new and efficient tool used to dig up clams is posing a threat to clam populations, state Fish and Wildlife scientists say. Next month, the Fish and Game Commission will consider an emergency ban on hydraulic pumps, which have largely replaced the shovels historically used for clamming.
Shovels typically work during the lowest tides, on roughly 150 days a year, and they require more finesse. But pumps work on most days, bringing ocean water…