Board Plans Nov. 4 Bushel Limit Request

Other Committee · Meeting of October 20, 2026

Nantucket's Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board moved toward asking the Select Board for scallop bushel-limit authority. On Tuesday, Natural Resources Department staff member Tara reported adult scallop density at 1.47 per square meter, up from 0.96 last year, just below the 1.5 threshold the board uses to weigh raising the limit, with seed density up to 2.46. Members agreed to seek Select Board authorization November 4 letting the department adjust the limit administratively after a week of fishing data comes in.

The board also voted unanimously to send the Select Board a letter recommending apprentice-program licensing rules, added Saturday sessions, and removing green crab provisions. Separately, staff member Jeff said "there is no one that specifically is delegated at DP to enforce Chapter 91 licenses," amid an ongoing Boat Basin fuel pump outage that left commercial boats without diesel for days.

In the full story:

• Staff Reports: Eelgrass, Hummock Pond, and a Stalled Home Rule Petition
• Old Business: Shellfish Regulation Recommendations
• Old Business: Draft Minutes
• Old Business: Chapter 91 License Compliance and Boat Basin Fuel Outage
• Old Business: Wyer's Point Oyster Farm Siting Proposal
• Scallop Survey Data and the Bushel Limit Question
• New Business: Harbor Health Symposium
• Public Comment: 2027 Town Meeting Warrant Articles
• Future Agenda Items
• Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,708 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of October 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.