HomeMy WebLinkAboutHSAB - Nov 1 2011Nantucket Harbor & Shellfish Advisory Board
Minutes of Meeting held on Nov. 1 2011
Approved:
Conference Room, 2 Fairgrounds Road
Call to Order at 4:35 p.m.
Members Present: Wendy McCrae, Peter B. Brace, Bill
Blount and Dr. Boyce
Members Absent: Michael Glowacki, Bob Rank and Doug
Smith
Marine Dept:
BOS:
Others: Matt Herr, Bam LaFarge
Approval of Agenda:
Unanimously approved.
Approval of Minutes:
Unanimously approved.
Chairman’s Report:
Dr. Boyce reported that the nor’easter of Oct. 30/31
blew lots of scallop seed up on north-facing inner harbor
beaches including Quaise and between Pocomo and
Wauwinet. On Nov. 1, Dr. Boyce estimated that at least
100 totes of seed totaling around 200 bushels were
collected and returned to the harbor. Mr. Brace asked
Dr. Boyce to describe the magnitude of this seed
stranding in comparison to the stranding in November
2004. Dr. Boyce reported that it wasn’t too bad in the
lower part of the harbor, but that there was a huge
amount of seed along the shore between Pocomo and
Wauwinet. Dr. Boyce surmised that the stranded seed
was produced by town shellfish biologist and released in
Fifth Bend this summer. Dr. Boyce estimated that 700 to
800 bushels of stranded seed were rescued from the
beaches and returned to the harbor. Dr. Boyce added
that most scallopers got their limits before 10am when
he flew the red flag at the town pier signaling cessation
of scalloping so stranded seed could be rescued.
Mr. Herr reported that Oct. 31 was the day most people
were helping gather seed on the beaches, but he could
not say where the seed was put back into the harbor. He
added that he thought one bushel out of 10 were adults
washed up on the beach. Dr. Boyce agreed. Mr. Herr said
that most of the seed they knew of that was up on the
beach was moved back into the water on Nov. 1, but that
shortly before they got done on that day, they found a
pocket of seed in one foot of water just below the low
tide mark from which they collected around 20 totes’
worth in about 15 minutes using pushrakes and he worried
that there were other pockets like that they hadn’t
found yet. But he did know of areas on Bass Point and a
second pocket down near the Wauwinet with seed in
shallow water from Pocomo Point down to that pocket.
Dr. Boyce announced that HSAB’s review of Simon
Edwards’ application for an aquaculture license was
postponed.
Matt Herr said he and other scallopers would go out again
on Nov. 2 to try to recover more of the seed in the
locations he mentioned above. He added that seed ending
up on the beaches without anyone knowing about it can’t
happen again. Mr. Herr advised HSAB there needs to be
an organized system of people checking harbor beaches
during and after hard blows to locate stranded seed as
quickly as possible and organize volunteers to get it back
into deeper water. Mr. Herr said he and Ms. Riley got
calls from people reporting seed on the beaches. They’re
first response was during high tide and then they went up
harbor next day and found the seed on the beaches of
Pocomo and Wauwinet. Mr. Brace suggested that people
be found to commit to walk certain beaches during and
after blows to report strandings to one person who could
coordinate the rescue effort. Mr. Herr stated we need
an awareness of where the seed is prior to the
fall/winter storm season. He added that it all depends on
the area where the seed is and how close it is to the
beach in terms of its’ potential to wash up during a given
storm. He added that knowing where all the seed is in
relation to wind direction and then having a core group of
volunteers organized to check the beaches on which the
wind is blowing would be key to forming some sort of
seed stranding response team.
Mr. Herr lamented that it’s always the same small number
of people who show up to get the seed off the beach and
that we need to find a way to change this. Mr. Brace
agreed with Mr. Herr and stated a list of fishermen and
other islanders needs to be created, those people
contact and organized somehow. Mr. Herr said that he
felt that all of the scallopers should feel it their
responsibility to help out free of charge and if they
don’t, then the usual volunteers need to be compensated
somehow to maintain a dependable, consistent effort to
save scallop seed. Mr. Herr said this core group is around
15 people but that there were around 20 to 25 people
helping on Nov. 1.
Dr. Boyce suggested educating people who live along the
inner harbor shore and those who walk them regularly to
keep an eye out for the seed. Mr. LaFarge suggested a
seed-stranding hotline. Dr.Boyce added that the
Shellfish Management Plan committee should work this
idea into the SMP. Mr. Herr noted that there is a seed
management section in the plan but that a seed-stranding
response effort would need to be added. Mr. Brace
agreed with this approach, but he asked what happens in
the interim if there’s another seed stranding. Mr. Herr
said that shock of such a fierce yet brief storm woke
many people up to ease with which strandings occurred,
so he believes finding people to help return seed to the
harbor in the interim should be easier until a plan can be
put into place. Mr. Brace asked if anyone knew of seed
north-facing Esther Island beaches. Mr. LaFarge report
some scallops on north side of Tuckernuck.
Mr. Brace suggested not waiting until the Nov. 15 HSAB
meeting to spend more time talking about this situation
and asked Mr. Herr about organizing volunteers ASAP.
Mr. Herr responded that he intended to start calling
fishermen to get a sense of who could be part of this
effort and find three or four people to organize a seed-
stranding response unit.
Petrel Landing:
Dr. Boyce announced the Petrel Landing issue is on the
selectmen’s agenda for Nov. 2. He then asked Mr. Herr if
he thought the boat slips included in the proposed Land
Bank plan were necessary. Mr. Herr, Mr. LaFarge and Mr.
Blount agreed the slips aren’t necessary and they’ll make
it tough for boats to maneuver into position for
loading/offloading on the eat side of the landing. And all
agreed that there should be a dinghy dock along the
south end of the landing. Mr. Brace asked what the Land
Bank’s thinking was behind the slips and Dr. Boyce said
they would probably be included in the town’s slip lottery
in the spring, adding more slip space. Everyone agreed
that other than adding more dinghy space, Petrel Landing
should greatly shorten the time fishermen expend
unloading their catch in comparison to using the town
pier, which is more than 850 feet long.
Ms. McCrae stated the board appreciates his hard work
on HSAB-related matters and for coming to its meetings.
Ms. McCrae asked who from HSAB would be representing
HSAB at the selectmen’s meeting and Dr. Boyce, Mr.
Smith and Mr. Brace said they would attend. Dr. Boyce
said he would stress to the selectmen that there is no
other place on the harbor for fishermen to get their
trucks right to their boats.
Marine Department Report:
No report at this meeting due to the absence of Ms.
Riley and Dave Fronzuto
Old Business:
Ms. McCrae asked how the fundraiser for Bob Rank went.
Dr. Boyce stated that he didn’t know how well the
fundraiser did but noted that is was quite well attended.
Mr. Brace noted that it was packed.
New Business:
There was no new business
Adjournment: 5:20 p.m.
Next Meetings:
Nov. 15, Dec. 6 and Dec. 20
Respectfully submitted,
Peter B. Brace, Secretary