Shellfish Aquaculture Best Management Practices (BMPs) - Mass.Gov

112 Pages·2004·1.67 MB·English

by  Dale F. Leavitt

Best Management Practices for the
Shellfish Culture Industry in
Southeastern Massachusetts

(Version 09-04a)

Developed by:
Massachusetts shellfish growers
in collaboration with
the SouthEastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Center
with support provided by the Massachusetts
Department of Agricultural Resources and the
USDA Risk Management Agency

Compiled & Edited by:
Dale F. Leavitt
SEMAC & Roger Williams University
Bristol, R I 02809

Best Management Practices
for the Shellfish Culture Industry
in Southeastern Massachusetts

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents i
Forward iii
Acknowledgements viii
Introduction to the BMP Manual ix
1) Site selection and access 1
1-1) Legal association with adjoining uplands 3
1-2) Access to site 5
1-3) Layout and placement of nets and other gear 7
1-4) Habitat 9
1-5) Other users 13
2) Materials, operations, and maintenance 15
2-1) Sediment management 17
2-2) Onsite deployment and storage of gear 21
2-3) Onsite equipment management 23
2-4) Preparing for winter conditions 25
2-5) Use and management of netting 27
2-6) Controlling biofouling on submerged surfaces 31
3) Improvement of shellfish survival and productivity 33
3-1) Performance selection to improve productivity 35
3-2) Minimizing crop loss from predators 39
3-3) Environmental considerations 43
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4) Disease prevention and management 47
4-1) Impact of shellfish diseases 49
4-2) Transporting shellfish 53
5) Maintenance of environmental quality 57
5-1) Water quality 59
5-2) Minimizing harmful chemical exposures 63
5-3) Introduction of exotic aquatic species 65
5-4) Remediation of eutrophication 67
5-5) Management of water flow 71
6) Glossary 73
7) Appendix 1: Shellfish aquaculture: In praise of sustainable
economies and environments. 79
8) Appendix 2: (MGL Chapter 130 Sections 57-67) 85
9) Appendix 3: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
General Programmatic Permit for Massachusetts 91
10) Appendix 4: 2004 Crop Insurance Fact Sheet:
Clams - Pilot Program 95
11) Appendix 5: Contact information for aquaculture
professionals in southeastern Massachusetts 99

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Forward

The shellfish farming industry

Shellfish farming in southeastern
“Shellfish aquaculture is a privilege
Massachusetts entails the husbandry of
and not a right.”
all or part of the life cycle of various

bivalve mollusc species for the purpose Robert Wallace – Shellfish Farmer
of generating a harvestable and Co-President; Massachusetts Aquaculture
marketable product. The principal Association
species reared in the area includes
quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria) and
intensive skilled management. The
oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Other
total area under cultivation for clams
species are also cultured at a smaller
and oysters in the southeastern
scale in the region, including, but not
Massachusetts area is approximately
limited to, soft shell clams (Mya
1,000 acres (in 2000). This represents
arenaria), bay scallops (Argopecten
about 9.2% of the total tidal flat area on
irradians), surf clams (Spisula
Cape Cod (Massachusetts Department
solidissima) and European oysters
of Environmental Protection – 1995
(Ostrea edulis). Shellfish farming is
Wetland Mapping) but cannot overlap,
practiced by the coastal municipalities
by statute (M.G.L. Chapter 130), with
of southeastern Massachusetts for
the 10,500 acres of productive shellfish
restoration and restocking as well as by
beds on Cape Cod.
private individuals for economic gain.
In 1996, the landed value of the
It has a local history of activity dating
shellfish farmed in southeastern
back to colonial days where King’s
Massachusetts was in excess of $4.5
Grants were awarded to private
million in reported income. However,
individuals for propagating oysters.
shellfish aquaculture has a much
Aquaculture crops, particularly
broader economic impact, in excess of
shellfish that are farmed in intertidal
$15.5 million, based on an economic
and shallow subtidal locations, utilize
study of the soft shell clam industry in
relatively small areas of the tidal flats
Casco Bay, Maine (Heinig et al. 1995)
but are highly valuable and require

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Regulation of shellfish farming
Shellfish farming is licensed by
Without clean water and a healthy
the local municipality, the
environment, the shellfish farmer is
Massachusetts Division of Marine
out of business!
Fisheries (Mass. General Law –
Chapter 130, Sections 57 through 67;
included as Appendix 2) and the U.S. Conference (ISSC), oversee shellfish
Army Corps of Engineers (Section 10 transport and sales. Today’s regulatory
of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899; environment, along with the
and Section 404 of the Clean Water consumer’s expectations, is very
Act through the Massachusetts General demanding. They want the high
Programmatic Permit; included as product quality that is associated with
Appendix 3). Licenses and area leases farmed crops, including consistent
are awarded to individuals either to flavor and reduced risk of
propagate shellfish, i.e. possess and contamination. At the same time,
cultivate sub-legal size shellfish while regulators, consumers and the general
marketing only legal size shellfish public are concerned about the
(referred to as a Propagation Permit), environmental and social impacts of
or to aquaculture shellfish, i.e. possess, aquaculture.
grow and market sub-legal and legal
size shellfish (referred to as an Shellfish farming and the
Aquaculture Permit). Table 1 outlines a environment
generalized version of the steps Sustainability and
required to acquire a license for competitiveness are key words to all
shellfish farming. Due to individuals involved in aquaculture.
Massachusetts "home rule", where Growers must be efficient in
towns set their own regulations for production to stay competitive. They
aquaculture licensing, each must conserve and protect water
municipality may vary somewhat from quality and sustain the environment to
this generalized scenario. remain viable. Without clean water
Most of the shellfish produced and a healthy environment, the
by farmers in southeastern shellfish farmer is out of business!
Massachusetts are used or consumed Shellfish farming also
directly by the end user with little to no contributes to improving water quality.
processing. The MA Department of This aspect of shellfish farming is
Public Health and the MA Division of thoroughly discussed in an editorial
Marine Fisheries, in collaboration with included as Appendix 1.
the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation
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Table 1: an overview of the general procedure for acquiring a shellfish aquaculture license
in Massachusetts.

Research species & Decision to apply for a shellfish
technology culture license

Identify potential Informal consultation with local
farm site shellfish constable

Formally apply to town for
Prepare application
license

Town governing body gives
Public hearing held
conditional approval

MA-DMF site MA Division of Marine
inspection Fisheries approval
Federal agency
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
consultations
approval
(NMFS, EPA, etc)

MA-DMF issues Town governing body provides
license final approval

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Shellfish farmers are neighbors
to many other users of the intertidal There is no single best management
and shallow subtidal environment and, practice for all shellfish crops at all
as such, they must be sensitive to the sites. Therefore, the best practice for
needs and expectations of their any individual grower will depend on
neighbors to minimize potential site-specific circumstances,
conflicts or detrimental interactions. At economic opportunities and
times, these realities appear to conflict environmental considerations.
but in truth they are complementary.
Good neighbor policies coupled with
while minimizing impact on the
high water quality within a healthy
environment, i.e. promote
environment will make local
sustainability. In the case of farmed
aquaculture crops more competitive in
shellfish, this means using good
today’s markets. If these considerations
management so that the crop is
are coupled with practices that increase
properly managed and healthy. There is
crop productivity, then everyone wins,
no single best management practice for
including the public, other coastal
all shellfish crops at all sites.
users, and the shellfish growers.
Therefore, the best practice for any

individual grower will depend on site-
Shellfish farming BMPs
specific circumstances, economic
Shellfish Aquaculture Best
opportunities and environmental
Management Practices (BMPs) are a
considerations.
set of voluntary procedures that have
The Best Management Practices
been developed by the Massachusetts
Manual for Shellfish Growers in
shellfish aquaculture industry in
Southeastern Massachusetts has been
collaboration with the SouthEastern
designed with a number of target
Massachusetts Aquaculture Center
audiences in mind. The primary
(SEMAC) to address areas where
audience is the members of the
attention should be focused to improve
shellfish aquaculture industry, both
production while preserving the
experienced and novice. Many of the
environment. The intent of a BMP is to
accepted farming techniques developed
provide information on “normal
by the shellfish growers have
industry practices” to help growers to
originated from individual trial and
farm profitably and in harmony with
error experimentation. As such, there is
their neighbors and the surrounding
no common clearinghouse for best
environment. To be considered a best
technologies, as most of the industry
management practice, an action must
knowledge has been passed by word of
maintain or increase crop production
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mouth. This manual strives to identify In conclusion, it is important to
and describe the best available note that this current Best Management
technologies for specific management Practices Manual for the southeastern
considerations in shellfish farming with Massachusetts shellfish aquaculture
an emphasis on sustaining acceptable industry should be considered a “living
production levels in concert with document”. Publication of the Manual
positive or benign impacts on the has been arranged in a loose-leaf
environment. A second audience that format with the intention that sections
will find this manual useful is policy of the Manual will be replaced as better
makers. Massachusetts “Home Rule” technology and/or practices become
dictates that the management of available.
shellfish aquaculture is the
responsibility of the Town Council or
Board of Selectmen. In many cases,
there is a lack of understanding as to
what technologies exist for shellfish
farmers and how those technologies
should be overseen at a local level.
Therefore, this manual will provide
factual information to Selectmen or
other local management agencies, as
well as state and federal regulators, as
to the best available technology for
managing a shellfish farm. Lastly, there
is a desire of many individuals in the
public sector to understand the nuances
of shellfish aquaculture. We hope the
public too will learn about shellfish
aquaculture through this manual and
their new knowledge will allow them to
be conversant with the industry in
terms of the industry’s needs and
limitations.
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Acknowledgments

This document has been Important contributors included:
developed through the efforts of a large
The SEMAC BMP Committee:
group of individuals who are interested
Bill Burt
in the sustainable growth of the
Bill Clark
shellfish aquaculture industry in
Lee Davis
southeastern Massachusetts.
Russ DeConti

Joel Fox
Support for the publication and
Dick Kraus
distribution of this document was Dale Leavitt
provided by the New England Small Henry Lind
Farm Institute, the Massachusetts Dennis Murley
Department of Agricultural Resources Diane Murphy
and the University of Massachusetts Bob Wallace
Scoping Workshop Coordinator:
through a cooperative agreement with
Sandy Macfarlane
the USDA Risk Management Agency
Initial Research Team:
for crop insurance education.
Horsley Witten Group

External Reviewers (Draft 1):

Mark Begley – Shellfish farmer

Joe Buttner – NEMAC

Scott Soares – MA-DAR

Bill Walton – Shellfish constable

External Reviewers (Draft 2):

Phil Colarusso – US EPA

Jim Fair – MA DMF

Nancy Findlay – US NPS
Kevin Kotelly – USACE
Tara Nye – APCC
Jerome Moles – MA DMF
Robert Prescott – Mass.
Audubon
Cori Rose – USACE

Michael Sheehan – USACE

Steven Tucker – Cape Cod

Commission

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