PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government wants to allow U.S. seafood harvesters to continue collecting the same amounts of some popular kinds of shellfish.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it wants to keep the quotas steady for surf clams, ocean quahogs and Maine ocean quahogs. Fishermen have harvested more than 38 million pounds of Atlantic surf clams every year since 1979. Quahogs are also a key seafood product in the Northeast.

Surf clams and quahogs are used to make chowders, stuffed clams, fried clams and other popular seafood items.

The government is collecting public comments about the proposal until Dec. 26. Quotas for the shellfish have remained unchanged since 2004.