Marine Dept. floats concept of scalloper apprentice program
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
To fish for bay scallops is almost a privilege, given that Nantucket sustains one of the last remaining viable bay scallop fisheries on the East Coast.

Protecting it is one of the goals of the Marine & Coastal Resources Department's concept for an apprentice program that could require new commercial scallop fishermen to fish with experienced scallopers, or put in a certain number of hours working with the town shellfish biologist before dredging for scallops on their own.

Deputy Shellfish Constable Dwayne Dougan explained the idea to the Shellfish & Harbor Advisory Board at its Jan. 15 meeting while updating it on proposed shellfish regulations for eels, quahogs, mussels and conch.

Dougan said that apprentice scallopers who want to get their commercial licenses might either fish 100 hours with licensed scallopers for their first season, work in a scallop shucking shanty or be assigned scallop-related work by Town Shellfish Biologist Jeff Mercer. The apprentice work would educate new scallopers on the importance of protecting seed scallops and scallop habitat, and train them in scallop boat operation and navigation.

"Right now, they have to get three current scallopers to sign off on their licenses," said Dougan.

SHAB agreed with Dougan that three signatures from experienced scallopers is no longer enough to qualify new scallopers for fishing in the harbors, given the tenuous state of Nantucket's scallop populations and that the practice teaches them little about scallops and scalloping.

"All the numbers are flexible," said

Dougan. "I talked with several fishermen and they said it's a good idea. It could be 40 hours. It could 60 hours."

Although SHAB liked the apprentice program idea, it did not vote on it at its meeting.

"I feel the first years, they at least should go with somebody else," said SHAB member Fred Holdgate.

SHAB member Matt Herr agreed.

"It's like any skill - no one's going to let you pull wires in a house without getting your ticket," he said.

The board and Dougan also discussed a two-bushel limit for trainees during their apprenticeships. Marine Superintendent Dave Fronzuto said he and Dougan are looking at what other towns in the region do for shellfish apprentice programs to see how they can adapt them to Nantucket's situation, including the Towns of Bourne and Sandwich.

In those Cape Cod towns, residents 12 to 16 years old can get apprentice shellfish licenses for $100 from the towns' Department of Natural Resources to harvest scallops, clams, quahogs, oysters, herring, eels and sea worms. They must do this under the supervision of an adult in their immediate family or a legal guardian possessing a valid commercial shellfish license. Each family in these towns is allowed just two such permits apiece and each apprentice can harvest one bushel per day.

"It's something that we're asking them [SHAB] to look at," said Fronzuto. "Other

communities on the Cape have it." I