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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-15Harbor and shellfish Advisory Board Minutes December 1, 2015 Community Room, 4 Fairgrounds Road Members Present: Peter Brace, Wendy McCrae, Peter Boyce, Bill Blunt, Kenneth Gullicksen (arrived 5:05) and Andy Lowell Members absent: Michael Glowacki Marine Department: Natural Resources: Jeff Carlson and Tara Riley Call to Order at ? Agenda Approved? Minutes of , 2015 approved.? Marine Dept. report: none Natural Resources report: Carlson and Riley: (Gullicksen arrival) Strandings, up to 200 bushels removed from beach, has been another substantial stranding since last meeting. Lowell: health of stranded scallops? How determine where to replace? A: (Riley) health good, coming in waves, not all at once. Some open but majority alive. Placed based upon discussion with fishermen. Eel grass mapping not back. Placing in deeper areas, not necessarily in eel grass areas. Public comment: none. Old Business: 60 and over license- review of proposed language. Gullicksen: should be revised to limit dredge use to those with prior dredge experience and there should be language to create new type of license. McCrae: not necessary. Lowell: in favor of change. Boyce: slightly in favor of, not worth a lot of time. Blunt: when is season? A(Brace)- recreational so October. Public: Starr- dredge use prohibited prior to November. Gullicksen: no, current regulations limit to November because is limited to commercial use, this would change. McCrae: motion to approve Gullicksen amendment (revise language to read "per week by methods used previously by such person, including the use of a dredge, if applicable "). Seconded and unanimously voted. Sharon Ames: have had commercial license 25 years, if allowed in October they would know where scallops are and have a big advantage in November. Discussion: over 60 license only available to former holders of commercial licenses so no one would be able to do both. Lowell: better to limit to November and have separate button. McCrae: move to limit to November and require a separate license. Discussion- should Board make changes now or at later meeting. Consensus is to do now. Gullicksen: add after " if applicable" "Provided, dredges shall only be used between November 1 and March 31 and use shall be subject to the provisions of section 4.15." Blunt: (for license /fee chart) Retired scalloper license- free. Gullicksen: motion- add, between "may" and "take" "between November 1 and March 31" unanimously voted. Result is that new proposed language reads as follows: Insert new section: 2.1413- under Methods of Taking: Any Nantucket Resident over the age of sixty (60) who has previously held a commercial permit to harvest bay scallops within the waters of Nantucket may, between November 1 and March 31, take two (2) bushels of bay scallops per week by methods used previously by such person, including the use of a dredge, if applicable. These scallops are for the personal consumption of the permit holder and will not be sold, bartered or presented for commercial purposes. Recreational violations outlined in Section 7.6 are applicable. A new category is to be added to the chart in section 3.1B: Retired scalloper Free Adding, within the bay scallop section of section 3.3: Under "Limit " - 2 bushels per week and under "Size and Special Considerations " - Under section 2.14b. Public Comment: Sharon Ames- on Friday the 13'' in Madaket their catch was confiscated. They had 10 boxes and were told that if 20 seed were found all ten boxes could be confiscated. Q: a math question, stopped counting at 20 (seed) scallops. 490 scallops in box. At 5% 35 per box would be okay. Paragraph 7.4 requires confiscated catch to be documented. Carlson: 20 is 5% of box of 400. If found triggers full inspection. Then count all in boxes. In this case counted and found more than 5 %. Pennell Ames: said only need to find 20 to take catch. Found 27 in three boxes. Never offered opportunity to observe examination. Blunt: when drafting wanted to allow chance to see examination- not provided here, unfair. Carlson: policy is to allow scalloper to observe. In subsequent case scalloper was there. Out of half dozen only one came to observe. They also notify environmental police. Boyce: intended to be 20 scallops/box, not 20 in multiple boxes. McCrae: concerned that proper procedures were not followed. Carlson: they were given chance to observe. McCrae: should be document for scalloper to sign acknowledging notice was given. Carlson: can do, but people reluctant to sign. McCrae: (to Ames) you should not take personally, it should not deter you from fishing in future. Boyce: can't do much more without report, suggest come back to. Q(Brace to Ames) What seeking. A: clarification as to 5% per box or catch. Q ( Gullicksen to Carlson) if further counting shows less than 5% is catch returned? A: yes. Q(Lowell to Carlson) mentioned seed and undersized. A: look at nubs, size and review all. Boyce: is 5% of total catch. Carlson: if to be discussed should invite environmental police. Seed and undersized nub both scallops not legal to harvest, all count toward 5 %. Emergency hauling: no new news. Proposed mooring regulation changes: no questions, discussion to be deferred (due to time). New Business: none. Recap /next meeting: Brace to request hearing for over 60 license change. Next meeting - proposed mooring regulation changes. Keith Robinson to be invited in connection with discussion of seizure of scallop catch. Gullicksen suggested hold off on over 60 license request to combine with mooring. Brace - last time there were to second was ignored. The meeting adjourned at 6:56.