Nantucket Shellfish Management Plan

Nantucket’s shellfish resources are an important part of the Island’s history, culture, and economy. Nantucket waters support one of the country’s last wild-caught bay scallop fisheries. Elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, fishing pressure, habitat loss, and disease have severely depleted bay scallop populations. Although Nantucketers continue to make a living harvesting shellfish from the Island’s waters, many do so with concern for the future of the resources and the habitats that support them. Urban Harbors Institute (UHI) provided technical assistance to the community to develop a Shellfish Management Plan (SMP) that addresses issues of water quality, habitat loss, climate change, shellfish propagation, regulatory concerns, and the sustainability of the commercial and recreational fishery. Of particular value is the outline of future research needed to support management activities. Species addressed include: Bay scallop, Conch, Mussel, Quahog, Oyster, and Soft-Shell Clam