12/09/2025 SHELLFISH COMMISSION Minutes (2)

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�04%k1M { Town of Mashpee Shellfish Commission 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee,MA 02649 The growing season was reported as highly successful, particularly for oysters, which showed strong growth and minimal issues. Quahog seed was received approximately one month later than usual,but growth met expectations. Modified oyster trays with mesh inserts were used for quahog grow-out, allowing approximately 2.6 million quahogs to be broadcast and significantly reducing overwintering needs. Quahog broadcasting prioritized family harvesting areas, including the Great River system, Little River, Hamblin Pond,Popponesset Bay, and associated islands. Approximately 350,000 oysters have been deployed to public fisheries to date, an increase from 220,000 last year. Deployments were staggered throughout the season to maintain grow-out sites, manage space, and reduce pressure at fishery openings. An estimated 500,000 market-ready oysters remain, with additional deployments planned to prevent oversizing and maintain inventory flow for nitrogen mitigation. Harvest monitoring includes patrols,permit verification, camera surveillance, and standardized basket estimates of 50-75 oysters, depending on size. Final harvest totals, including nitrogen mitigation calculations, will be compiled as part of end-of-season reporting,with completion expected by the end of March. Camera systems also support off-hours monitoring, and no after-dark harvesting violations have been observed. Shellfish survival rates have improved significantly,with mortality now estimated at 1-2%, compared to historical losses of 20-30%. Improvements were attributed to better spacing, enhanced cleaning and maintenance, and upgraded grow-out practices. Additional fishery-ready oysters are expected to be deployed at Mashpee Neck Landing and other locations, with site-specific conditions guiding placement. Oyster restoration projects continue as part of the overall deployment strategy. The propagation program was described as well-managed and producing strong outcomes despite limited staffing and challenging conditions. 2. Rules and Regulations An update was provided on the revised recreational and commercial shellfish regulations, and members were advised that the final versions had been distributed earlier in the afternoon. The recreational regulations were reviewed and described as clear and easy to read,while the commercial regulations had not yet been fully reviewed at the time of the discussion. Members were invited to offer comments or questions. Members commented that the revised regulations reflect a substantial amount of work and collaboration and incorporate feedback from prior discussions. The regulations were described as significantly easier to read and follow, and appreciation was expressed for the effort involved in producing a clear and user-friendly final product. It was confirmed that the regulations are scheduled to move forward to a public hearing on December 22, following a scheduling issue that prevented the item from appearing on the prior meeting agenda. The intended effective date for the regulations is January 1, 2026, allowing a brief implementation period following the public hearing. Commercial permit holders have already been notified of the upcoming changes, including new permit holders who were informed in advance of the effective date. It was noted that enforcement will be reasonably lenient during the transition period to allow for any missed communications. It was further clarified that no substantive changes were made to the recreational regulations, and recreational harvesters should not experience meaningful changes under the revised rules. The December 22 public hearing date was reaffirmed,with the timing noted as sufficient to allow the regulations to take effect at the start of the new year. 2