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.