With Vibrio an ongoing concern, guidelines for handling and transporting oysters are expected to be revised again. Vineyard oyster farmers have been exemplary in adhering to protocols, state officials said.
The 4-1 vote clears the way for brothers Greg and Dan Martino to begin a pioneering aquaculture venture. There were complaints from abutters and concerns about navigation, but the town strongly backed the project as a boost to the shellfishery.
Tim Broderick took a leap of faith when he sold his 55-foot fishing dragger Four Kids this summer, switching to oyster farming in Menemsha Pond with his father Stephen. But the Brodericks say the change is already paying off.
Oyster farms on the bay are open again after a one-week precautionary closure spurred by cases of Vibrio illness. Meanwhile, discussion has begun among oyster farmers and biologists about taking a proactive approach to the problem, possibly through planned closures during warm weather.
Edgartown’s bustling aquaculture industry is on hold this week, with Katama Bay oyster farms temporarily closed because of reported cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp). The state Department of Public Health and Division of Marine Fisheries announced the closure, which is expected to last one week, on Wednesday.
Oysters harvested from Katama Bay in Edgartown earlier this summer have been linked to two confirmed cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. State and local health officials said no evidence of mishandling was found and no closures have been ordered.
Edgartown shellfishermen are one step closer to farming in a new spot in Nantucket Sound, following an approval from the selectmen on Monday. The site, called the middle flats, is a 35-acre area located about a mile north of Eel Pond.
The state has issued new tougher regulations to guard against outbreaks of a shellfish bacteria known as Vibrio that closed Katama Bay to oyster harvesting for three weeks last fall.
