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Constable reports closures, ORV sticker enforcement and resource updates; herring count ongoing
Summary
An agency official told the Shellfish Committee that West Side closures and East Side work are scheduled in June; ORV stickers are on sale online only and enforcement may carry a $100 fine; herring counts and Vibrio control season dates were also announced.
An agency official speaking at the Shellfish Committee meeting on May 21 reported multiple field and enforcement updates affecting shellfish harvest and coastal access.
The official said the West Side will close on June 6 and East Side export work will begin on June 2. "ORV stickers, again, on sale online only. You do need a new sticker. They'll be turned away at the gate if you don't have one. And if you see you out on the flats without one, it's a $100 fine," the official said.
The herring count remains underway with an anticipated end date of June 15, the official said; run-size estimates for some areas were not available at the meeting but staff offered to provide last year's data by email. The official also said Vibrio control season began May 19 and that some areas (including recreational quahogs at Soft Shell in Bass River and Bass River South and Middle) will close on May 31.
An electronic counter at Stony Brook was reported to have reached 90,000 as of March 26, 2025. Committee members and commenters discussed observed beach erosion and whether recent culvert work at Scargo will improve spawn success over the coming seasons; the agency official cautioned that any benefits would likely appear in future spawning cycles rather than immediately.
The committee did not take new regulatory action at the meeting; the official provided dates, enforcement reminders and offered to circulate additional data to committee members by email.
