May 30: A crabby day

What’s Going on in the Tisbury Shellfish Department

May 30: A crabby day

In this photo, Tisbury Shellfish Constable Danielle Ewart retrieves a crab pot from Lagoon Pond. The crabs are emptied into a barrel and the crab pot is rebaited with a fish carcass.

Tisbury Shellfish Constable Danielle Ewart and assistant constable Nelson Sigelman spent the afternoon hauling crab pots from Lagoon Pond as part of an overall effort to reduce predation of scallops and quahogs by spider and green crabs. The crab pots are emptied and rebaited on a regular basis. Most of the bait comes from the fish barrel on the dock by the launch ramp. The fish barrel provides a place for fishermen to dispose of their carcasses after they have cleaned their catch so they do not throw the fish parts off the dock. Doing so would only attract more crabs and reduce water quality.Hauling crab pots is smelly business but it is one of many jobs that must be done.