Shellfish Department

Shellfish Permit Information:

Residential recreational permits for 2022 are REQUIRED and available ONLY through the Select Board's office located at 56 School Street.

https://www.oakbluffsma.gov/352/Shellfish-permits

If you have questions regarding a shellfish permit application, please call Debra Alley at 508-693-3554 x115.

Non-residential veterans of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may obtain a recreational shellfish permit at no cost.

 Fees charged to Commonwealth veterans for recreational shellfishing

Non-residential one-week, two-week and one-month recreational shellfish permits are available from May to September at Dick’s Bait & Tackle, 108 New York Avenue, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557, phone 508-693-7669

Purpose

• Enforces laws and regulations relating to shellfish
• Culture shellfish and administer town shellfish beds
• Provide coordination of Town shellfish conservation activities
• Research, propose and obtain grant funding for shellfish related projects
• Public education and safety
• Oversees private aquaculture
• Leases and herring regulations

Areas open for shellfishing:

• Lagoon Pond (see map below for closure area)
  

• Outside Waters
  

• Sengekontacket Pond - sections 3-10 effective August 13, 2022 (sections 1, 2, 11, 12 & 13 are closed)
  

• Oak Bluffs Harbor

If the red flag is flying at either of the bridges to Sengekontacket Pond, it means the pond is closed for shellfishing.

Oyster Season opened on November 1, 2022

Scallop Season 2022-2023:

Sengekontacket Pond - no dragging allowed

Recreational - Saturday, October 15, 2022 - limit of 1 bushel until 12/31/2022. After 1/1/2023, the limit will be 1/2 bushel

Commercial - Monday, November 7, 2022 - limit of 3 bushels until 12/31/2022. After 1/1/2023, the limit will be 2 bushels

Outside Waters

Recreational - Saturday, October 1, 2022 - limit 1 bushel

Commercial - Monday, October 3, 2022 - limit 5 bushels

Lagoon Pond - dragging limited to outside of mooring fields (see map below)

Recreational - Saturday, November 12, 2022 - limit of 1 bushel until 12/31/2022. After 1/1/2023, the limit will be 1/2 bushel

Commercial - Monday, November 14, 2022 - limit of 3 bushels until 12/31/2022. After 1/1/2023, the limit will be 2 bushels

Please remember: (322 CMR.6.11): No person shall land or possess bay scallops without a well defined growth line and that growth line shall measure at least 10 millimeters from the hinge of the shell. Exception: Bay Scallops that have an annual growth line located less than 10 millimeters (mm) from the hinge of the shell, shall be lawful to harvest if the shell height is at least 63.5 millimeters (mm) or 2.5 inches.

Goals & Objectives

• Shellfish Constable-Continue work on Farm Pond and Salt Marsh Restoration
• Shellfish Constable-Cultivate 4 species of shellfish (approximately 7.15 million seed) and address nitrogen loading is salt ponds

Accomplishments

• Instituted private-public partnership to obtain interns to perform water quality and
  phytoplankton monitoring program.
• Continued work on living shore line/salt marsh and Farm Pond Restoration Project.