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Shellfish Volunteer Program discussion (Community Shellfish Action Program for <br /> Mashpee:Mashpee M.U.S.S.E.L. (Mashpee Utilizing Shellfish, Sea, and Estuarine <br /> Life). <br /> Draft plan written and sent to the Selectman for review: <br /> Mashpee At A Glance: <br /> Mashpee has 36 miles of shoreline;3,295 acres classified as shellfish growing areas(per Massachusetts <br /> Division of Marine Fisheries) <br /> Year-round population of 14,114 that doubles to nearly 35,000 during the summer. <br /> Mashpee Department Natural Resources has many programs related to shellfish,directly and indirectly, <br /> including water quality,shellfish propagation, shellfish habitat improvement,shellfisheries management, <br /> and looking forward to future projects. <br /> Mashpee has a very active shellfish propagation program and includes three species, land-based and <br /> floating nurseries,bottom culture,and also field planting. <br /> What is a Shellfish Community Action Program? <br /> It is an opportunity for people who are interested in shellfish and who want to learn about how to grow <br /> shellfish. Volunteers are a valuable resource. They have been involved in community projects such as <br /> water quality monitoring, and herring run monitoring as examples. Assisting in shellfish projects is less <br /> often utilized. Towns shellfish departments are doing all they can to keep up with shellfish propagation <br /> efforts with fewer resources,financial and human. Volunteers can help fill the gap. <br /> Mashpee Shellfish Propagation <br /> Quahogs <br /> Oysters <br /> Bay Scallops <br /> Land-based and Floating Upwellers at the Shellfish Farm: <br /> The town has the ability to grow any of the three major species of shellfish and the capacity to grow over <br /> 10 million animals per year. The animals in the farm must be cleaned daily from the middle of June to the <br /> end of October. <br /> Field Planting: <br /> Once the clams come out of the farm they must be planted on the bottom <br /> and covered with predator netting.We plant all our major Recreational and even some of our Commercial <br /> Shellfish Areas with seed from the farm complex at Little River. <br /> Remote Set: <br /> Remote setting is a process where microscopic Oyster Larvae are introduced to broken shells that attracts <br /> the larvae,then they set on the shells at the hatchery. In Mashpee has 1,000 to 2,000 Oyster remote set bags <br /> grow in the Mashpee River each year. These bags need to be split so that the oysters can be spread out into <br /> trays to ensure optimal growth and survival.Volunteers can help. <br /> Reasons for Community Shellfish Action Program: <br /> More help needed to expand the program; <br /> Importance of shellfish to the community; <br /> Educational opportunity for residents to learn about how to raise shellfish; <br /> Provide visibility for shellfish program <br />