March: Preparing for a New Shellfish Season

What’s Going on in the Tisbury Shellfish Department

In the photo to the right, a channel marker rests under a light cover of snow at Tashmoo Landing awaiting the start of a new season. Photo by Nelson Sigelman.

Winter is a quiet time for shellfishing in Tisbury waters. With the exception of a few hardy commercial and recreational shellfishermen raking quahogs and digging soft shell clams, there is little activity.

The Shellfish department is busy planning for the new season. The winter lull provides an opportunity to meet with other island departments and the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group to discuss plans for the upcoming season. Much of the shellfish propagation work we will do in the warmer months begins now with orders, planning and spawning activity.

One big change this off-season is that shellfish licenses are now available for purchase at the Harbormaster’s office at Owen Park, Monday through Friday in the off-season (and on Saturdays during the summer months).

In this photo, Tom Hopkins rakes quahogs in Tashmoo on a cold January day. Photo by Nelson Sigelman.