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Shellfish Component of CWNMP Implementation Update <br />April 14, 2016 <br />Richard York, Shellfish Constable <br />Permits <br />I have added 4,450 bags of remote set oyster seed and 10 million quahog seed to this <br />year's shellfish propagation seed permit from the Massachusetts Division of Marine <br />Fisheries. The Conservation Commission has approved the oyster bed restoration <br />project in Shoestring Bay, and reconstruction of the Little River Town Dock floats with <br />the addition of shellfish seed upwellers under the floats to grow quahog seed. <br />Personnel <br />Staff to assist the Shellfish Constable with implementation of the Shellfish Component <br />of the Comprehensive Wastewater Nitrogen Management Plan include the new <br />Shellfish and Water Quality Technician to be hired this month, and Waterways <br />Assistants. The deadline for applications for Waterways Assistants is April 15, 2016 <br />and we plan to hire 5 people early in May. <br />Predator Control <br />Crab traps have been deployed since August 2015 to control invasive green crabs that <br />eat shellfish seed. More traps were deployed in March 2016 when the crabs became <br />active after winter. The green crabs are being crushed and placed in Nantucket Sound <br />for fish food. <br />Great River, Jehu Pond, Little River and Hamblin Pond (DMF area SC16) <br />Quahog seed — 10 million small (2 mm) quahog seed are on order from the ARC <br />hatchery in Dennis, MA for delivery in June. The seed will be grown in the upwellers on <br />land next to the Harbormaster Shack at little River, and then transferred to new floating <br />upweller systems planned in Little River. One system will be anchored in the river, and <br />another will be under the floats of the Town Dock at Little River. After growing larger <br />(up to an inch), the seed will be planted in Great River and Jehu Pond. <br />The CWNMP calls for the purchase of large (1") quahog seed that we purchase <br />and plant when received. The plan now (adaptive management) is to purchase and <br />grow very small seed to avoid the risk from a new quahog disease that has been <br />identified in Cape Cod Bay. The very small seed is spawned from disease-free adult <br />quahogs (local stock), and grown in filtered water in the hatchery. Large seed is grown <br />in the wild. We do not have the disease in Mashpee. Ten million 1" seed cost <br />$450,000, and ten million small (2 mm) seed cost $90,000, so we will be saving <br />