Westport Island Shellfish Committee

Meeting Minutes

February 12, 2008

 

 

Present:  David Besecker, Lincoln Richardson, Clem Sledge, Donna Curry, Eugene Fairfield, Ron Aho, Forrest Smith, Mike Innes

 

Approval of minutes from previous meeting: Minutes from previous meeting were approved by committee members.

 

2007 Year-end report: The year-end report was completed, signed, and submitted to Ron Aho.

 

Warden’s Report: Clem volunteered to be a shellfish warden and will participate in the spring training.

 

Lincoln inspected the area around Squam Creek for potential sources of contamination but found only an old beaver dam. 

 

Forrest has seen possible poachers at Squam Creek. Three men ran when he came to the creek to investigate. He has also found three clammers around the islands off Westport Island. He also stated that there appear to be more state patrollers around Westport Island than previously.

 

Forrest suggested the committee consider paying people for their time as wardens. In some other towns wardens are paid. No action or comment was made to this suggestion.

 

Water Station: The committee asked about the feasibility of moving the water station where the contamination at Squam Creek had been found. Ron stated that we cannot move water stations, but we could possibly do further water testing ourselves. We could create a water station on the other side of the creek to try to determine from where the contamination might be coming. This will be researched and then discussed at the next meeting.

 

Also, if we do further water testing, we would have to find someone to test our samples. Water testing for DMR requires special training. Clem and Lincoln will check to see where we might have the water samples tested.

 

Maine Clammers Association: Lincoln will call MCA to see whether it is worthwhile to join. The committee wants to know how membership might help us, and how our membership could help the Association.

 

Conservation Credit Program Guidelines:  The committee reviewed the item related to commercial shellfish license in the March 27, 2004 Shellfish Conservation Ordinance, which reads:

1)  Priority in issuing a Resident and Nonresident Commercial Shellfish License shall be given to persons who have completed at least ten (10) hours of conservation work, in the twelve-month period prior to each May 1. The type of conservation work approved by the Shellfish Committee shall be pursuant to the Conservation Credit program guidelines which shall be available at the Westport Island Town office. Qualifying conservation work includes; attendance at posted committee meetings; participation at surveys; participation at seedings; and any other assistance with the Town’s conservation efforts as may be approved by the Committee’s program guidelines. The Shellfish Conservation Credit program shall be managed by one Committee appointed member. In the event of a tie in credits, the available license(s) shall be administrated first by seniority and then if necessary by drawing.

 

Committee members agreed that the wording of this item is not clear. Mike, who has been consistently attending all committee meetings and other events, stated that he felt it was “a competition.” He thought if he received more credits than Forrest did, he would have the first chance at the 2008 Commercial Shellfish License.

 

The committee agreed that anyone who was interested in the commercial license (either resident or non-resident) must have a minimum of ten credits. Rather than using the term “seniority”, the committee suggested using the term “incumbent” so that it was clear that the license would be available first to the person presently holding the license.  It was also suggested that credits for committee meetings should be limited to one credit rather than two, which is the present policy.

 

Since the issue of rewording will take some time, Clem offered to draft a revision and send it out to the rest of the committee for comment. This item will be revisited at the next meeting.

 

Dr. Beal’s Visit: Dr. Beal is slated to comet to Westport at the town hall on March 6th. The committee questioned whether there should be any advertising for this event. It was decided that it might be better not to do so since there is limited seating in the town hall. There was also discussion about giving Dr. Beal an honorarium and cover his expenses. Donna will contact Dr. Beal to see whether UM Machias will reimburse him and to see whether an honorarium would be acceptable.

 

Other Business: The Fishermen’s Forum is slated for February 28th. There is no information about the progress of the three bills related to shellfish that were introduced last month.

 

Next meeting: The next meeting will be held on March 4, 2008. The following items will be part of the agenda:

  • Revision of Committee bylaws related to conservation credit and process for granting commercial licenses
  • Update on Water Stations at Squam Creek
  • Update on signs for Squam Creek

 

Action Items:

ü      Clem and Lincoln to check into another water station and water testing for Squam Creek

ü      Lincoln to check on membership benefits for Maine Clammers Association

ü      Clem to draft revised ordinance item related to the granting of commercial shellfish licenses

ü      Donna to contact Dr. Beal regarding honorarium and expenses

ü      Dave to contact the local marine patrol to see who should post signs at Squam Creek

 

 

Conservation Credit Update as of February 13, 2008

 

 

Individual

Activity

Date

Points Accrued

 

 

Forest Smith

Committee meeting

May 1, 2007

2

Clam “school”

May 12, 2007

4

Seeding and brushing of Fowles Cove

June 2, 2007

4

Survey of McCarty Cove

June 9, 2007

4

Committee meeting

October 2, 2007

2

Committee meeting

February 12, 2008

2

 

TOTAL TO DATE

18

 

 

 

Mike Innes

Committee meeting

May 1, 2007

2

Clam “school”

May 12, 2007

4

Committee meeting

May 21, 2007

2

Seeding and brushing of Fowles Cove

June 2, 2007

4

Committee meeting

August 6, 2007

2

Committee meeting

September 4, 2007

2

Committee meeting

October 2, 2007

2

Committee meeting

January 8, 2008

2

Committee meeting

February 12, 2008

2

 

TOTAL TO DATE

22

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lincoln Richardson                                                       Clem Sledge 

 

_________________________________                  ___________________________________

 

 

Dave Bertran                                                                Donna Curry 

_________________________________                  ___________________________________

 

 

David Besecker                                                            Eugene Fairfield

_________________________________                  _________________________________