11/12/2019 SHELLFISH COMMISSION Minutes

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On two separate occurrences catches were confiscated ; 11t case : group of individuals shellfishing could not display any active shellfish permit for Mashpee or Falmouth in Waquoit Bay : violation of MGL Ch.130 section 95, 2"d case: homeowner storing catch under dock in Little River,going against state regulations for wet storage Mass. Reg. CMR 322 16.04. Second case's catch also contained under sized soft shell clams and oysters;violation of MGL Ch.130 section 69.Written warnings were given to both parties as they were compliant and uninformed despite an issuance of the regulations when permit was purchased. Management Shellfish surveys were conducted in the northern "Open to Shellfishing" portion (south of the closure line and northwest off of Desquenne Island 114 4B) of Hamblin Pond.These surveys were conducted for shellfish population assessment and future shellfish seeding area determination. A total of 17 hours were spent assessing shellfish populations and habitat suitability for different species of shellfish. Shellfish Bioremediation studies were conducted on two separate occasions in Little River on September 11th and the 25th to comply with the Town's Comprehensive Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan.The studies were conducted to measure the total amount of nitrogen adult oysters and quahogs are capable of removing in a set amount of time with a known concentration. Both studies were successful and data is being processed at the University of Massachusetts School of Marine Science and Technology S.M.A.S.T. The CEO of Dura-Tech fiberglass fabrication company came to the Little River complex to assess the two land-based upweller tanks that were designed by company 2 years ago. He filmed the working tanks and added input and advice for use moving forward with their use. Propagation During the month of September,the Shellfish Division has devoted a total of 577 hours to the shellfish propagation program. This includes routine upweller(land and floating) maintenance (pumps and intakes)and cleaning, quahog size class sorting and measuring, bottom grow out tray cleaning, predator net construction and deployment, remote set oyster bag splitting,floating oyster bag maintenance, and oyster weights and size measurements. In September,we were able to plant approximately 1.2 million quahogs under predator netting at the mouth of Great and Little River and in Hamblin Pond.The quahogs at the Little River complex continue to grow despite a lower amount of food; during this time of year quahogs will add to the thickness of their shell rather growing larger,this helps to protect them against predation. Materials for seeding the remainder on the runt (slow growing) quahogs were purchased, and it is expected that they will be seeded in entirety by the end of October. One of the land based upweller tanks has been shut down for the winter due to pump and intake issues, but all seed was large enough to be moved into the floating dock upwellers. During the winter the division lets the lines go anoxic to kill the fowling organisms and then intakes and piping will be removed to prevent damages due to ice formation. All the remote set oyster bags in the Mashpee River are open and data is currently being taken on the growth and survival of this year's set from the Aquaculture Research Corporation. On September the 16th and 30th, oyster samples were taken for nutrient content analysis from the Mashpee River growing area by S.M.A.S.T.Waterways Assistants Rachel Fordham and Dominick Vitale will be taking down the small floating farm containing 1st year oyster seed to then be overwintered in Falmouth's facility to