Oak Bluffs is changing its mooring policy in an attempt to cut down on the hundreds of people on the waitlist.

Starting in the next few weeks, the town will charge a fee for people who want to remain on the waitlist for moorings in Lagoon Pond, said harbor master Emily deBettencourt. There are currently about 300 people on the list, which rarely moves.

“It’s pretty stagnant so we’re trying to clean up the whole mooring process in the Lagoon,” Ms. deBettencourt said. “It’s discouraging for people who are eager to get a mooring and check the list every year and they haven’t moved at all.”

The annual fee to stay on the list will be $10. 

Ms. deBettencourt said that the fee will help clear the list of people no longer interested in a mooring. The first payment, which will keep people on the list for 2026, will be due at the end of December of this year. Ms. deBetterncourt said the practice is also used in Vineyard Haven, and is standard practice for towns on the Cape.