From the Mashpee Enterprise · March 26, 2021 · By Ryan Spencer
Mashpee Natural Resources Director Ashley Fisher told the selectmen on March 22, 2021, that an FDA requirement under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program means shellfish areas near mooring fields of more than 21 boats can no longer be classified as approved for harvest. In Waquoit Bay, three areas would become conditionally approved. The Seconsett Island family area and the lower Great River family area were expected to stay open year-round, while the northern reaches of Great River, where many moored boats are large and have onboard toilets, would close in summer. Seconsett could stay open year-round if the town restricts overnight occupancy on its moorings, a bylaw expected at fall Town Meeting; as a backup, the town had preliminary plans with Falmouth to open a small family area north of the Seconsett causeway.
In Popponesset Bay, areas in Ockway Bay and near Daniel’s Island would also be reclassified, with part of Ockway Bay closing in summer. Fisher said no aquaculture permit holders would be affected because they were placed outside mooring areas. She warned, though, that summer closures could affect the town’s Comprehensive Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan, which counts on shellfish to remove nitrogen from both bays alongside sewering.
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