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Dave Souza|Herald News
A shellfisherman uses a bull rake to fish in the Coles River in Swansea on the opening day of commercial shellfishing season.
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SWANSEA
With a quarter of a million pounds of shellfish harvested from town waters in 2011, the shellfish program is coming into its own after just three years.
Since its start, new areas have opened to shellfishing. The town also started a program last year that transplanted 400 bushels of mixed quahogs from contaminated areas to Swansea waters to increase the natural resource.
“It’s more than I ever thought it would be,” said Selectman Scott Ventura, who drafted the shellfishing regulations now in use. “I couldn’t be happier.”
The shellfishing season for commercial harvesters started a month early this year on Feb. 1 with 10 licenses already sold, according to the Town Clerk’s Office. Residential shellfishing will start on March 1.
Shellfish Warden and Swansea Police Sgt. Daniel Lowney is not asking for any changes to the commercial regulations for the 2012 season, but is seeking a couple of changes to residential shellfishing rules.
Lowney told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday that he’d like to see residential catch limits for mixed quahogs reduced to one peck per week, from two pecks or a half-bushel. The proposed decrease is based on the recommendation of Greg Sawyer of the Department of Marine Fisheries.
Lowney said he believes that many residential harvesters are giving their catches away to friends and family. While they have a right to do so, Lowney said preserving the resource is an important part of the program.
“I don’t think it’s good for management purposes,” Lowney said. “Some areas were hit hard last year.”
Sawyer said most communities have a one-peck limit for residential shellfishers.
“It will make the resource last a lot longer,” Sawyer said. “When you’re dealing with half a bushel per week, it’s starting to encroach on commercial.”
Another change proposed for 2012 would be the rotation of residential shellfishing areas starting on Sept. 15.
Recreational shellfishing off Long Point would be allowed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the rivers are open. Town Beach would be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Selectmen Chairman Kenneth Furtado said changes to the regulations will require a public hearing. The hearing is expected to be held prior to the residential opening date of March 1.
Last year, the shellfish beds were open 126 days of the 301-day season. Areas are closed after significant rainfall.
In 2011, the town sold 22 commercial licenses for $600 each and 340 residential licenses for $50 each, or $10 for senior citizens.
Ventura said he remembers shellfishing in Swansea waters as a child. That was before contamination and overfishing shut the program down for about 25 years. Ventura said he’s been out there shellfishing once again.
“I love it,” Ventura said. “I think it’s great.”
Opening the waters to commercial harvesters is another point of pride for Ventura.
“We’ve created jobs,” Ventura said. “It’s not often we can do that. People who do this rely on it for additional income.”
To learn more about shellfishing rules and regulations, visit www.swanseapolice.com.
Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.