To the Editor:
I attended the meeting of the Tisbury selectmen on Nov. 24 pertaining to the closure of Lagoon Pond to commercial scalloping (Nov. 27, “Tisbury selectmen keep tax shift, buck scallop recommendation”). It was obvious the selectmen have little or no knowledge of the industry. Therefore, if the selectmen are going to take the shellfish committee’s recommendations at face value, we need to make the shellfish committee a true functioning committee.
Jamie Tilton stood up as a representative of the commercial fishermen. He never addressed the commercial dipnetting request, and was adamant about closing the pond. Steve Baccelli also was adamant about closing the pond, even if scallops were worth $50 a pound. There is good reason why they want the pond closed; neither one relies on this income as their main source.
Jamie Tilton is a busdriver for V.T.A. and Mr. Baccelli is retired from his job. Neither Mr. Tilton nor Mr. Baccelli should be representing commercial fishermen in the town of Tisbury. The third representative of the commercial fishermen also has a conflict.
We have tried to talk to selectmen, but they send us to the shellfish committee, who do not recognize us at the meetings. For this reason I will be trying to get on the town agenda to make the shellfish committee have commercial fishermen placed on the committee.
Commercial dipnetting has never been disallowed in my lifetime until now. If anyone can tell me why commercial dipnetting should be disallowed, I am all ears. A very small percentage of adult scallops live past 18 months, and even fewer spawn.
Glenn Pachico
Vineyard Haven
