01/25/2022 SHELLFISH COMMISSION Minutes

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SHELLFISH COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA JANIJARY 25,2022-7:00 P.M. MAST PEE TOWN HALL-16 Great Necl(Road North WAQUOIT MEETING ROOM PRESENT: Peter Thomas,Donovan McElligatt,Bill Holmes,Darryl Christensen,Jamie Pachico,Buddy ioci ""'— PUBLIC: Matt Haney CALL MEETING TO ORD Chain-nanTm hoas called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. ---............. ER PUBLIC COMMENT N/A 1 -1 ...........— --.— OLD BUSINESS ----..................— 1. Shellfish Rules and Regulations:Review and Approve final draft of revised R&R, Mr.McElligatt reviewed the final draft of the Rules and Regulations. The Commission discussed the new limit of quahogs. Mr.Thomas suggested keeping it at two pecks,one chowder and one stone size.He asked if less quahogs/more oysters has to do the nitrogen removal, Mr. McElligatt said it all boils down to the availability of shellfish seed. Quahogs are harder to get than oysters.We have to take into consideration that it takes 2-3 years for them to grow,if we don't limit, there won't be any in the future. The recreation areas target quahogs. The balance is less quahogs in the summer,raise oysters in the winter.Mr. Christensen said our surnmer population doubles,not so much in the winter. Also,a lot of those that are here yearround don't have the gear to shellfish in the winter. There aren't any to harvest the oysters. If it's about seed availability,as long as you make an effort to get as much seed as possible...Mr.McElligatt said it's inescapable,there's just no seed now.Mr.Thomas said as long as we're all on the saine page and know what to tell people when they ask. Mr.Pocknett suggested we look into relays.Mr.McElligatt said that's exactly the"outside of the box"ideas we're looking for.If we can find another avenue to grow quahogs,we're happy to raise the limit. Matt Haney, from the public,asked about one peck from the family areas,and one peck frorn an outside area?Mr. McElligattt said that's hard to enforce, Mr.Christensen asked what's included under the definition of"shellfish".There are areas in the draft that use the broad term"shellfish"that causes confusion about crabs,which currently fall under the"shellfish" definition.Mr.McElligatt said he can separate the definitions to avoid confusion. Mr.Christensen asked if Senior Recreational Permits were per household or per individual.Mr. McElligatt confirmed that it is per individual. A household with two Seniors can purchase two Senior permits,which allows for each of therm to catch their individual limits. The thought process is that the cost of each permit helps to fund the growth of shellfish. Whether the permits are from same or different households does not affect the limits per permit.