HomeMy WebLinkAboutHSAB Minutes - December 07, 2010_2014020513473893171
Nantucket Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board
Minutes of Meeting held December 7, 2010
Approved: January 4, 2011
Conference Room, Town Annex, 37 Washington St.
Call to Order at 4:36PM: Members present Dr. Boyce (in the chair), : Mr. Blount, , Ms.
McCrae (arrived 4:40pm), Mr. Smith
Members Absent: Mr. Glowacki, Mr. Holdgate, Mr. Rank
From Marine Dept: Ms. Riley
From the BOS: Mr. Willauer Others: Mr. Herr,
Approval of Agenda: There being no additions or changes, the Agenda was assumed to be
approved.
Approval of Minutes: (4:37pm)
There being no quorum, approval of the minutes was postponed.
Chairman’s Report: Dr. Boyce noted he, Ms.Riley, Val Hall and Dr. Stephen Estabrooks
attended the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition (NACE) held Dec 1-3 in
Plymouth. 1. There was a session on ocean acidification. Sediments tend to be acidic. We
should measure ours. We should consider dumping shells back into the Harbor instead of in the
landfill. 2. Partnerships between wineries/breweries seem to be beneficial. Cisco is interested.
3. We should be sure to include aquaculture in the Shellfish Management Plan. The Northeast
Shellfish Growers Association has a good Best Management Practices document which should
be distributed.
Marine Department Report: (4:48pm)
Commercial scalloping: The bushel count is up to 3,600 bushels as of today, but only six
boats are still fishing. There are not many scallops left. The price is $15-$16 per pound.
New algae stocks for next year are coming soon
Conferences: In addition to going to NACE, Mr. Riley also went to the International
Conference on Shellfish Restoration last month in Charleston, SC. 1. Oysters were the main
target but there were some presentations on scallop restoration. Emphasis was on larval
transport – goal is to have larval retention in best areas. 2. Impacts of Gulf Oil Spill was
discussed. There are no public health standards for hydrocarbons in shellfish. 3. Acidification;
Mark Green (http://tinyurl.com/2e69yte) is studying effects of acidification on shellfish. We could
ask him to visit and measure our sediments. Brittle stars increase their shells in response to
acidification. 3. Volunteer organizations can work, and serve to get community involved. There
is a large volunteer organization in New Jersey which is doing a good job. 4. Nantucket is not
on the map. We need to let people know what is going on here, and that we are doing good
work. 5. Aquaculture – ways to help neighbors and other resource users understand what
aquaculture is all about. Partnering with specific dealers can be beneficial.
Dr. Boyce added that the Southold Project for Aquaculture Training (S.P.A.T.) was also a
successful volunteer organization with many members from the community, centered on
Peconic Bay on Long Island, which is helping greatly with the bay scallop restoration project
there.
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Ms. Riley added that one of the Nantucket oyster growers attended the oyster sessions at
NACE. Dr. Boyce noted that the scallop landings from Peconic Bay in the first month is more
than the whole harvest last year. Their scallop population seems to be recovering.
Seed Moving: Ms. Riley passed around a signup sheet at the last SMP public meeting asking
for volunteers to move shallow water seed into deeper areas. She will develop a plan shortly.
Old Business: (4:59pm)
Progress on Shellfish Management Plan: The next meeting of the SMP Committee, which
is open to the public, will be on December 15 at 2:00pm in this room (37 Washington St.).
Report on Article 68 Work Group: The final draft of the Home Rule Petition and the Board
of Health regulations have been approved by the Work Group. The Best Management Practices
document (BMP) needs further editing. There will be a report to the BOS tomorrow night.
New Business: (5:03)
Review of Scallop Apprentice Program: Dr. Boyce reported that, according to Mr.
Fronzuto, there are two apprentices this year and that seems to be working out satisfactorily.
December meeting dates: Dr. Boyce asked if we need to meet twice in December, since the
second meeting would be very close to Christmas. Ms. McCrae moved (Mr. Smith second) that
we not meet again in December. The motion passed unanimously.
Report from Nantucket Shellfish Association: Dr. Willauer reported that the NSA is
working on a developing a Web Site. Four people are working on it. They are having
discussions about how the site might be used to market Nantucket scallops. There will be
sections on Family Scalloping, Outreach and Education, Calendar, and the NSA Organization.
Questions and Comments: Mr. Smith asked about when water quality testing results will
be available. Ms. Riley noted that they will not be available until next February, and that this is
unacceptable. Next year she will be getting results in real time. The Town has a water quality
task force working on getting the past results up on the Web and accessible. This will be on the
Marine Department section of the Town Web Site.
Mr. Smith asked if the Madaket Estuaries Report is ready yet. Ms. Riley said it had been sent for
comment and is back to the authors for final editing.
Dr. Boyce asked the group, which now composed a quorum, to approve the minutes of the last
two meetings. Mr. Smith moved (Ms. McCrae second) to approve the minutes.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 5:13pm
Next Meetings: January 4 and 18, 2011.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Boyce, Chair