Tisbury selectmen say no shellfishing on Christmas day

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The Tisbury selectmen approved a new mooring transfer policy, amendments to shellfish regulations, and new stop signs following a series of public hearings held Tuesday night.

Selectmen approved two of four shellfish regulation changes that had been requested by shellfish constable Danielle Ewart and the Shellfish Advisory Committee. They voted to allow the shellfish constable to restrict a designated area, not just the western arm of Lagoon Pond as in the past, to residential dip-netters.

The selectmen also voted to limit shellfishing to recreational license holders on Thanksgiving Day and prohibit shellfishing on Christmas Day.

In discussion about other regulatory changes, commercial shellfisherman Tom Searle questioned language that refers to measuring shellfish catches in “standard bushel baskets or boxes.”

He said he did not think the commercial limit boxes hold a true bushel and that he is getting shortchanged. The selectmen voted to ask the Shellfish Advisory Committee to clarify the language and to hold another public hearing later.

The new mooring transfer policy requires a new mooring holder to have an inspection performed and send the results in a report to the harbormaster. Following a satisfactory inspection, the new mooring holder may begin using the mooring.

In the past, Harbormaster John “Jay” Wilbur asked new mooring permit holders to write a check for $500 to the previous permittee, in payment for the mooring gear.

Under the new policy, the amount of compensation, if any, for the existing mooring gear is determined between the old and new mooring holders, and is not set by the town.

In other business, the selectmen voted to accept ambulance coordinator Jeff Pratt’s resignation as of January 2, 2013; They approved spending up to $18,970 for additional services provided by HKT Architects on the Emergency Services Facility (ESF) project; and they approved the installation of a new stop sign stop at the intersection of Main Street and Greenwood Avenue.

ESF building committee chairman Joe Tierney said that once repairs are made to the air filtration system in the apparatus bay, which he expects by next week, the project will be complete. Selectman chairman Tristan Israel said he hoped an open house would then be scheduled for the public.