Harbor advisory board holds commercial scallop limit at five bushels after biologistsurvey; will revisit Nov. 18

The Harbor Shellfish Advisory Board voted Wednesday, Oct. 21, to keep the 2025-26 commercial sea scallop limit at five bushels and to revisit the limit at its Nov. 18 meeting after receiving dive-survey data from the town biologist.

Town biologist Tara presented fall benthic-survey results for Nantucket Harbor, Madaket Harbor and Tuckernuck, saying the long-term record shows a decline in eelgrass and that scallop densities remain low. "In 02/2006 all of Nantucket Harbor ... had 37% total coverage of eelgrass. And this year in 2025, we recorded 17% total coverage of eelgrass," Tara said. She told the board that the harbor-wide average scallop density this year is below 1 scallop per square meter and that Madaket and Tuckernuck were lower still.

The survey data were the key context for the board's recommendation. Tara said the town's protocol sets a data threshold to trigger a bushel discussion: if density reaches 1.5 scallops per square meter or higher, the board would consider an upward…