August 1: Planting for the future

What's going on in the Shellfish Department: 

August 1, 2018

It is mid-summer and there is a lot happening in the Tisbury Shellfish Department on town waterways, and behind the scenes.

Shellfishing is a popular activity for seasonal residents and short term visitors. Until recently, visitors who arrived late Friday had to wait until Monday to purchase a shellfish license. To make the process more convenient, licenses are now for sale at the Harbor Office at Owen park from 10 am to 2 pm, on Saturday.

It is rare that even an inexperienced shellfisherman goes away empty handed. But where does the story begin?

The abundance of soft and hardshell clams in town waters begins with small clam seed. Earlier this season, the department "planted" quahog seed provided by the shellfish hatchery in numerous sand filled rafts suspended by floats in Lagoon Pond.

On Monday, shellfish constable Danielle Ewart and intern Hannah Gonsalves sifted through the sand of two rafts and removed approximately 34,000 quahog seed now about one-quarter inch in size. Later that day, Shellfish assistant Nelson Sigelman distributed the seed on popular clam flat areas of Tashmoo.

That process will continue over the coming weeks. The sand in the rafts will be sifted and the clams distributed in Tashmoo and the Lagoon.

Hopefully, much of this seed will continue to grow to harvestable size and in several years license holders will reap the delicious benefits.

Nelson Sigelman, Tisbury shellfish assistant, holds a handful of tiny quahogs large enough to be seeded in Tashmoo.

Danielle Ewart, Shellfish Constable, spreading seed quahogs out in Tashmoo.