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Minutes

Meeting date: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Shellfish Advisory Board
Minutes
March 18, 2015
Town Hall Hearing Room

Present: Barbara Austin, Barbara Brennessel, John Duane, Joel Fox, James O’Connell,  Rebecca Taylor, Helen Miranda Wilson. Jacob Puffer (alternate).

Others in Attendance: Fred Richard, Ethan Estey (Herring Warden), John Mankevetch (assistant Shellfish Constable), Michele Insley (SPAT), Andy Koch (Shellfish Constable).

 

  1. Convened: 7:08 pm
  2. Minutes from January 14, 2015:  Helen MW moved to approve the minutes.  They were seconded and approved (4-0; 3 abstentions).
  3. Minutes from March 3, 2015 were approved as amended (4-0; 2 abstentions).
  4. Helen M.W. reminded everyone that SAB members will have to reapply to be on the Board.  All terms expire at the end of June, 2015.
  5. Fred Richard reminded everyone that Barnstable County has pamphlets about Handling, Storing and Cooking Shellfish.  Barbara B. will ask Diane Murphy for copies to put in the beach sticker office. 
  6. Barbara B. announced that the recreational shellfishing regulations on the Town website are outdated; the 2008 regulations are posted. Helen M.W. offered to try to have them updated by the town.
  7. Ethan Estey announced that he wants to do some promotional shellfish talks in Wellfleet for summer visitors.  He identified Indian Neck as a potential location.  Helen Miranda Wilson reminded Ethan that he would need to apply for use of Town property. He would charge a fee for these talks.  Ethan would have to get some type of permit for the gear that he would deploy to do these demonstrations.  John Mankevetch pointed out that this area is a bathing beach.  There are potential conflicts with beachgoers.  Andy Koch does not think this is a good area for this activity.  The area on Indian Neck near Brent Valli’s Barge is a possibility, as well as Mayo Beach.  Parking is an issue that will have to be addressed.  Ethan will come back after he has explored possible sites and parking issues.  The SAB members support the project but want to hear more about the location.
  8. Michele Insley of SPAT announced that the BOS are still considering Town Use Fees and the Oysterfest.  Vendors may have to pay a portion to the Town.  This would not be a good precedent for other non-profits. There was an extended discussion about the fees for non-profits to use Town property.  Michele encouraged everyone to go to the BOS meeting when this will be discussed.
  9. Recommendation for Town Meeting:  The SAB discussed the benthic study and voted to support the study on the Town Meeting Warrant; John Duane moved to support the study; it was seconded and approved 6-1.
  10. John Duane promoted the idea of doing a finfish study in the Harbor.  He offered to spearhead an effort to investigate such a study and explore funding.  Helen MW asked John to find out, from the DMF, what type of data would be important to make comparisons of finfish over time.  Barbara A asked John Duane and Ethan Estey to get together and come back with more info at the next meeting.
  11. Helen M.W. explained the information she found out about branding/trademarking the Wellfleet Oyster, the use of insignia/trademark . This would be a geographical trademark.  Pros: Additional set of enforcement protections, Wellfleet could easily qualify for this.  Cons: It has to be maintained, and not abandoned (The Town would have to be the administrator; a lawyer would be needed to set it up), extra cost for fishermen for labels and tags; if it is not used on all the goods listed, it may require a reapplication process.  The Town would have to enforce the use of the trademark; the product might not be of uniform quality, thereby hurting the reputation of the brand. There was further discussion about this, which will continue at the next SAB meeting.
  12. Section 7.18.4. Gear Must be Secured.  The regulation was revised to read “All equipment or gear on a licensed area must be securely fastened at ground level to the bottom or removed.  All equipment or gear which is no longer used as it was originally designed to be used must be removed from a licensed area and either disposed of properly or moved to an appropriate site not located within a protected resource area.  This includes loose nets, twisted and damaged racks, loose envelopes, grow-out bags and fastening devices.” Andy Koch also proposed to include dates when gear must be removed from the Harbor before the ice comes in.  Helen will work on the wording with Andy Koch to include deadlines and it will be reconsidered at a future meeting. 
  13. Barbara B. gave a brief report on the Climate Change and Shellfish Working Group.  There will be two products:  A report on the economic effect of a Vibrio closure in Wellfleet; and a report on the effect of sea level rise on shellfishing and aquaculture.
  14. There was a discussion of the “use it or lose it” principle.
  15. Vibrio Management Plan meeting: Eastham April 6 at 11:00 am
  16. Horseshoe crab Symposium at WBWS; April 18; 9:30-1:00 pm
  17.  Next meeting:  April 30, 7 pm

 

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara Brennessel