Shell fishing starts Dec. 1

For soft shell clams, scallops and oysters

The Shellfish Commission revisited its decision to change the opening of the Great Salt Pond for scalloping from November first to December first at the meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The change, which takes place this year, was challenged by a member of the public at the Commission’s last meeting in October. Vice Chair Hermann “Bo” Gempp, who was chairing the meeting, put it succinctly: “We were right. They’re still spawning,” explaining that he had opened six scallops to see what they were up to.

“The water is warmer this year,” said Commissioner Jon Grant.

“We knew it would be a bone of contention,” added Commissioner Joe Fallon.

Gempp felt that there were only a few people who were upset with the change and he told the group that he had been emphasizing to those people that they would have an additional month in the spring to go scalloping.

The Commission also discussed the opening of Cormorant Cove to soft shell clamming on Dec. 1. While the pond generally opens up on that date for soft shell clams, scallops and oysters, that particular area is one where reseeding has taken place. “I say yes, providing there’s someone down there for two hours [at low tide]” said Grant. Adding that someone had already been digging in the area, he emphasized the need for a shellfish warden or police officer to monitor the area, see that clams taken were of the proper size and that people were covering their holes. “We put some work into getting it seeded,” Grant said.

The rest of the Commission agreed, and they unanimously voted to send a recommendation to the town that Cormorant Cove be opened for soft shell clamming on December first with “adequate oversight.”

Gempp then presented the group with a preliminary budget that he had put together for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015. He asked that people review it for anything he may have forgotten or that they might want to add. As far as the line item in the budget for “Transplants/or hatching with Roger Williams [University — RWU]:”

“The magic word we’re looking for is ‘sustainable fishery,’” said Gempp. He proposed that they consider taking stock from the pond and growing it out.

“What does that mean?” asked Commissioner Janet Ziegler.

“A lot of work,” quipped Grant.

“We have to learn how to be sustaining,” said Gempp, explaining that it would involve taking 50 to 60 native quahogs, sending them to RWU where they could “hatch it” and send back the seed. He asked people to “think about it. Last year Roger Williams offered to give us an upweller,” he added. “Sooner or later we’re going to get stuck with a disease.”

Grant felt that it was a great idea, but questioned the amount of labor involved. “I think that is the ultimate way to go,” he said.

“In the long run, I can see a full time person running the shellfish department,” said Gempp.

“Colleges have the manpower, but we don’t,” responded Grant.

“It’s not fantasy-land,” said Gempp, noting that Chatham, Mass., “Does it with one person” who does everything. “If we don’t start, we’re not going to get there.”

After quickly verifying that the nine people who had applied to the town for resident commercial shell fishing licenses were indeed residents, the discussion of whether to re-seed or not to re-seed this coming spring/summer was revisited.

“Any ideas?” Gempp asked the group. “We don’t have an option,” he said, noting that an upweller would take two years to get up and running.

“We have $2,500 left, if I’m reading this correctly,” said member Joe Fallon, looking at some financial reports. However, it turned out that the numbers he was looking at were for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014 and nobody knew exactly what was left for this fiscal year.

“If we have $7,500 left, then we’ll do a transplant,” said Gempp.

Grant said that that was the amount for last year’s order but that they could order half the quantity. He also volunteered his boat for the restocking, although he did not want to be involved in the ordering, which, he told the group needed to be done by January, as his term on the Commission was expiring and he did not wish to renew his term.

Ziegler volunteered to find out how much money is left in the budget for the next meeting.