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Home My WebLink About2012-4-3Nantucket Harbor & Shellfish Advisory Board Minutes of Meeting held April 3, 2012 Conference Room, 2 Fairgrounds Road Approved: April 17, 2012 Call to Order at 4:37 p.m. Members Present: Doug Smith, in the Chair, Peter Brace, Bob Rank, Wendy McCrae, Michael Glowacki Members Absent: Bill Blount, Dr. Peter Boyce Marine Dept: Dave Fronzuto, Tara Riley, Dwayne Dougan BOS: Whitey Willauer N Others: Steve Estabrooks, Chuck Connor, Carl Sjolund v z Approval of Agenda: � z ::0 Unanimously approved. rn ry n Approval of Minutes: °" rn Minutes were not completed in time for the meeting. o -fl < 3 rn z v Chairman's Report: C w Dr. Boyce was out sick for this meeting. Vice Chairman Doug Smith stepped in to run t19on?„3 to Marine Department Report: Commercial Season Report Mr. Dougan reported that more than $2 million in scallops, more than $3 million retail, were harvested during the 2011/2012 scallop season, a total of 17,800 bushels. Seed moving Ms. Riley said she was trying to organize a group of scallopers to move seed April 4 -6. Ms. Riley reported that she also spoke with Kara Buzanoski from the Department of Public Works about securing scallop shells for putting back into the harbor, and she said they use some of these shells to pave Ray's Court and Shell Street in'Sconset, and what's left over could be used for HSAB projects after the DPW lets the shells cure for a year. Mr. Brace noted these shells come from piles that scallopers voluntarily dump their scallops into and that if HSAB chose to, it could direct scallopers to dump their scallops at locations it designated. Other Items Mr. Fronzuto reported that Matt Herr's public hearing for his oyster farm proposal would happen at the Board of Selectmen's April 14 meeting. He asked that the board produce a signed, non -draft version of its letter of support of Mr. Herr's proposal, written by Dr. Boyce, for the selectmen's April 14 packet. Ms. Riley said she would update Dr. Boyce's letter, sign it and get it into the selectmen's April 14 packet. Ms. McCrae motioned that Ms. Riley update and sign Dr. Boyce letter on behalf of HSAB and send it to the selectmen. Mr. Brace seconded Ms. McCrae's motion. The board voted unanimously in favor of Ms. McCrae's motion. Old Business: Article 68 Workgroup Update Mr. Smith reported that Dr. Boyce was to have given this report. He added that the proposed regulations produced by this workgroup were to be presented to the selectmen on April 12. And he reminded that this workgroup's chairman, Lee Saperstein, had already updated HSAB on his group's progress at its March 20 meeting. Mr. Glowacki reported that the workgroup's article, Article 77, was adopted at Town Meeting without being called. 1 Shellfish Management Plan Update Mr. Fronzuto announced that there is a public hearing on the SMP on April 17 at 4FG at 5pm and said that the plan is viewable at the Marine Department's town web page and at the harbor plan web site as well as at the town building. Mr. Rank noted that the catch limit info were it said that the limit went to 4.5 bushels in 1940 and that in the late 1970s, it went up to six bushels, but it the limits were six and 12 when he started scalloping in 1970 New Business: Presentation by Dr. Steve Estabrooks Ms. McCrae asked that before Dr. Estabrooks started his slide presentation, Mr. Smith make note of her request to discuss Steve Bender having to submit in writing any public comments he would make at future HSAB meetings. Mr. Smith said he would put this item got onto the agenda of the April 17 meeting. Dr. Steve Estabrooks presented his latest results on bay scallop osporidiums (meaning strong scent), a chemoreceptive organ that theoretically might allow scallops to detect sperm in the water. Mr. Estabrooks said this gland was discovered 140 years ago. It's used to detect water quality by shellfish. Nantucket High School student Jessica Lucchini did a lot of the work using a scanning electron microscope at Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. Dr. Estabrooks reported that this organ might tell scallops to release their sperm all at once and might be able to detect the amount of the sperm in the water and could help the scallops release their sperm and eggs all at the same time. Mr. Smith asked if Dr. Estabrooks had experimented with the scallops putting them in water saturated with eggs to see how this organ reacted why one scallop discharges eggs and another sperm. Dr. Estabrooks said he hadn't. Mr. Rank asked if Dr. Estabrooks had tried to trigger this organ in the wild to get scallops to release their sperm and eggs. Dr. Estabrooks said he hadn't. Dr. Estabrooks reported on another experiment with rapamiecin, an organic compound from the soil of the Easter Islands that extends the lifespan of certain animal species. He added that he's using a grant to try to extend the lives of bay scallops using this compound. Mr. Fronzuto asked Dr. Estabrooks if he would be returning to HSAB for more funding requests. Dr. Estabrooks said he would be. Public Comment — Mr. Smith acknowledged Mr. Connors in the audience who is the write -in candidate for outgoing HSAB member Bob Rank. Mr. Smith personally thanked Mr. Rank for his service to the harbor, the shellfish and town during his term. On behalf of the board, Ms. McCrae said she and the other members always enjoyed and appreciated Mr. Rank's expertise and that his comments shall be missed. Mr. Smith asked Mr. Rank if anything came of the bills submitted to the state legislature on ending the commercial bass fishery and Mr. Rank replied that the bills are likely to die in committee. Mr. Smith encouraged everyone to write in Mr. Connors. The board agreed to change its meeting time for April 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. so the members of HSAB can attend the SMP public hearing at 5pm that day. Adjournment: Unanimously approved Next Meetings: April 17 and May 1, 2012 Respectfully submitted, Peter B. Brace, Secretary 2