Best Management Practices - Mass.Gov

Best Management Practices for theShellfish Culture Industry inSoutheastern Massachusetts(Version 09-04a)Developed by:Massachusetts shellfish growersin collaboration withthe SouthEastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Centerwith support provided by the MassachusettsDepartment of Agricultural Resources and theUSDA Risk Management AgencyCompiled & Edited by:Dale F. LeavittSEMAC & Roger Williams UniversityBristol, RI 02809

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern MassachusettsTABLE OF CONTENTSTable of n to the BMP Manualix1) Site selection and access11-1) Legal association with adjoining uplands31-2) Access to site51-3) Layout and placement of nets and other gear71-4) Habitat91-5) Other users132) Materials, operations, and maintenance152-1) Sediment management172-2) Onsite deployment and storage of gear212-3) Onsite equipment management232-4) Preparing for winter conditions252-5) Use and management of netting272-6) Controlling biofouling on submerged surfaces313) Improvement of shellfish survival and productivity333-1) Performance selection to improve productivity353-2) Minimizing crop loss from predators393-3) Environmental considerations43Version 09-04aPage i

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern Massachusetts4) Disease prevention and management474-1) Impact of shellfish diseases494-2) Transporting shellfish535) Maintenance of environmental quality575-1) Water quality595-2) Minimizing harmful chemical exposures635-3) Introduction of exotic aquatic species655-4) Remediation of eutrophication675-5) Management of water flow716) Glossary737) Appendix 1: Shellfish aquaculture: In praise of sustainableeconomies and environments.8) Appendix 2: (MGL Chapter 130 Sections 57-67)79859) Appendix 3: U.S. Army Corps of EngineersGeneral Programmatic Permit for Massachusetts9110) Appendix 4: 2004 Crop Insurance Fact Sheet:Clams - Pilot Program9511) Appendix 5: Contact information for aquacultureprofessionals in southeastern MassachusettsVersion 09-04aPage ii99

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern MassachusettsForwardThe shellfish farming industryShellfish farming in southeasternMassachusetts entails the husbandry ofall or part of the life cycle of variousbivalve mollusc species for the purposeof generating a harvestable andmarketable product. The principalspecies reared in the area includesquahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria) andoysters (Crassostrea virginica). Otherspecies are also cultured at a smallerscale in the region, including, but notlimited to, soft shell clams (Myaarenaria), bay scallops (Argopectenirradians), surf clams (Spisulasolidissima) and European oysters(Ostrea edulis). Shellfish farming ispracticed by the coastal municipalitiesof southeastern Massachusetts forrestoration and restocking as well as byprivate individuals for economic gain.It has a local history of activity datingback to colonial days where King’sGrants were awarded to privateindividuals for propagating oysters.Aquaculture crops, particularlyshellfish that are farmed in intertidaland shallow subtidal locations, utilizerelatively small areas of the tidal flatsbut are highly valuable and require“Shellfish aquaculture is a privilegeand not a right.”Robert Wallace – Shellfish FarmerCo-President; Massachusetts AquacultureAssociationintensive skilled management. Thetotal area under cultivation for clamsand oysters in the southeasternMassachusetts area is approximately1,000 acres (in 2000). This representsabout 9.2% of the total tidal flat area onCape Cod (Massachusetts Departmentof Environmental Protection – 1995Wetland Mapping) but cannot overlap,by statute (M.G.L. Chapter 130), withthe 10,500 acres of productive shellfishbeds on Cape Cod.In 1996, the landed value of theshellfish farmed in southeasternMassachusetts was in excess of 4.5million in reported income. However,shellfish aquaculture has a muchbroader economic impact, in excess of 15.5 million, based on an economicstudy of the soft shell clam industry inCasco Bay, Maine (Heinig et al. 1995)Version 09-04aPage iii

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern MassachusettsRegulation of shellfish farmingShellfish farming is licensed bythe local municipality, theMassachusetts Division of MarineFisheries (Mass. General Law –Chapter 130, Sections 57 through 67;included as Appendix 2) and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers (Section 10of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899;and Section 404 of the Clean WaterAct through the Massachusetts GeneralProgrammatic Permit; included asAppendix 3). Licenses and area leasesare awarded to individuals either topropagate shellfish, i.e. possess andcultivate sub-legal size shellfish whilemarketing only legal size shellfish(referred to as a Propagation Permit),or to aquaculture shellfish, i.e. possess,grow and market sub-legal and legalsize shellfish (referred to as anAquaculture Permit). Table 1 outlines ageneralized version of the stepsrequired to acquire a license forshellfish farming. Due toMassachusetts "home rule", wheretowns set their own regulations foraquaculture licensing, eachmunicipality may vary somewhat fromthis generalized scenario.Most of the shellfish producedby farmers in southeasternMassachusetts are used or consumeddirectly by the end user with little to noprocessing. The MA Department ofPublic Health and the MA Division ofMarine Fisheries, in collaboration withthe Interstate Shellfish SanitationWithout clean water and a healthyenvironment, the shellfish farmer isout of business!Conference (ISSC), oversee shellfishtransport and sales. Today’s regulatoryenvironment, along with theconsumer’s expectations, is verydemanding. They want the highproduct quality that is associated withfarmed crops, including consistentflavor and reduced risk ofcontamination. At the same time,regulators, consumers and the generalpublic are concerned about theenvironmental and social impacts ofaquaculture.Shellfish farming and theenvironmentSustainability andcompetitiveness are key words to allindividuals involved in aquaculture.Growers must be efficient inproduction to stay competitive. Theymust conserve and protect waterquality and sustain the environment toremain viable. Without clean waterand a healthy environment, theshellfish farmer is out of business!Shellfish farming alsocontributes to improving water quality.This aspect of shellfish farming isthoroughly discussed in an editorialincluded as Appendix 1.Version 09-04aPage iv

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern MassachusettsTable 1: an overview of the general procedure for acquiring a shellfish aquaculture licensein Massachusetts.Research species &technologyDecision to apply for a shellfishculture licenseIdentify potentialfarm siteInformal consultation with localshellfish constablePrepare applicationFormally apply to town forlicensePublic hearing heldTown governing body givesconditional approvalMA-DMF siteinspectionMA Division of MarineFisheries approvalFederal agencyconsultations(NMFS, EPA, etc)MA-DMF issueslicenseU.S. Army Corps of EngineersapprovalTown governing body providesfinal approvalVersion 09-04aPage v

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern MassachusettsShellfish farmers are neighborsto many other users of the intertidaland shallow subtidal environment and,as such, they must be sensitive to theneeds and expectations of theirneighbors to minimize potentialconflicts or detrimental interactions. Attimes, these realities appear to conflictbut in truth they are complementary.Good neighbor policies coupled withhigh water quality within a healthyenvironment will make localaquaculture crops more competitive intoday’s markets. If these considerationsare coupled with practices that increasecrop productivity, then everyone wins,including the public, other coastalusers, and the shellfish growers.Shellfish farming BMPsShellfish Aquaculture BestManagement Practices (BMPs) are aset of voluntary procedures that havebeen developed by the Massachusettsshellfish aquaculture industry incollaboration with the SouthEasternMassachusetts Aquaculture Center(SEMAC) to address areas whereattention should be focused to improveproduction while preserving theenvironment. The intent of a BMP is toprovide information on “normalindustry practices” to help growers tofarm profitably and in harmony withtheir neighbors and the surroundingenvironment. To be considered a bestmanagement practice, an action mustmaintain or increase crop productionThere is no single best managementpractice for all shellfish crops at allsites. Therefore, the best practice forany individual grower will depend onsite-specific circumstances,economic opportunities andenvironmental considerations.while minimizing impact on theenvironment, i.e. promotesustainability. In the case of farmedshellfish, this means using goodmanagement so that the crop isproperly managed and healthy. There isno single best management practice forall shellfish crops at all sites.Therefore, the best practice for anyindividual grower will depend on sitespecific circumstances, economicopportunities and environmentalconsiderations.The Best Management PracticesManual for Shellfish Growers inSoutheastern Massachusetts has beendesigned with a number of targetaudiences in mind. The primaryaudience is the members of theshellfish aquaculture industry, bothexperienced and novice. Many of theaccepted farming techniques developedby the shellfish growers haveoriginated from individual trial anderror experimentation. As such, there isno common clearinghouse for besttechnologies, as most of the industryknowledge has been passed by word ofVersion 09-04aPage vi

Best Management Practicesfor the Shellfish Culture Industryin Southeastern Massachusettsmouth. This manual strives to identifyand describe the best availabletechnologies for specific managementconsiderations in shellfish farming withan emphasis on sustaining acceptableproduction levels in concert withpositive or benign impacts on theenvironment. A second audience thatwill find this manual useful is policymakers. Massachusetts “Home Rule”dictates that the management ofshellfish aquaculture is theresponsibility of the Town Council orBoard of Selectmen. In many cases,there is a lack of understanding as towhat technologies exist for shellfishfarmers and how those technologiesshould be overseen at a local level.Therefore, this manual will providefactual information to Selectmen orother local management agencies, aswell as state and federal regulators, asto the best available technology formanaging a shellfish farm. Lastly, thereis a desire of many individuals in thepublic sector to understand the nuancesof shellfish aquaculture. We hope thepublic too will learn about shellfishaquaculture through this manual andtheir new knowledge will allow them tobe conversant with the industry interms of the industry’s needs andlimitations.In conclusion, it is important tonote that this current Best ManagementPractices Manual for the southeasternMassachusetts shellfish aquacultureindustry should be considered a “livingdocument”. Publication of the Manualhas been arranged in a loose-leafformat with the intention that sectionsof the Manual will be replaced as bettertechnology and/or practices becomeavailable.Version 09-04aPage vii