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, RI 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 Version 09-04a Page i Best Management Practices for the Shellfish Culture Industry in Southeastern Massachusetts 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 Version 09-04a Page ii Best Management Practices for the Shellfish Culture Industry in Southeastern Massachusetts 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 Version 09-04a Page iii Best Management Practices for the Shellfish Culture Industry in Southeastern Massachusetts 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 Version 09-04a Page iv Best Management Practices for the Shellfish Culture Industry in Southeastern Massachusetts 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 (NMFS, EPA, etc) approval MA-DMF issues Town governing body provides license final approval Version 09-04a Page v Best Management Practices for the Shellfish Culture Industry in Southeastern Massachusetts 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