A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of MassachusettsMassachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Science
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts
Massachusetts. Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Shellfish fisheries -- Massachusetts
The scalloping grounds are on the west side of the town, about half a
mile out. During the season of 1906-07, 6 men, working at intervals
during the winter, managed to take a total of 500 bushels from these
flats.
_Edgartown._
Edgartown, situated at the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard, possesses
extensive scallop grounds, and is one of the leading towns in the
production of this shellfish. This fishery, even more important than
the quahaug industry, furnishes steady winter employment for a large
number of the inhabitants.
The important grounds are in Cape Poge Pond and in Edgartown harbor,
while occasionally beds of scallops, especially "seed," are found in
Katama Bay. These grounds comprise an area of 2,000 acres, chiefly of
grass bottom.
At Edgartown scalloping is done both with sail and with power boats,
which are generally auxiliary cat boats, though power dories are used
to some extent. All but two of the power boats are doubly manned,
while the sail boats carry but one man. Eleven sail and 15 power boats,
employing 39 men, are engaged in the fishery.
Two kinds of dredges are used, the "scraper" for scalloping in the
eel grass and the "slider" for clean surface. The depth of water over
the scallop beds is not more than 18 feet, necessitating 10½ fathoms
of rope. The price of a dredge, including rope, is about $3, which is
cheaper than in the Buzzards Bay towns. Each power boat uses six to
eight, which are held out by "spreaders," poles extending from the
sides of the boat, in order that the dredges may cover more ground and
not trail behind one another.
The greater part of the scalloping is done by power, and, in spite of
the extra cost of nearly 90 cents per day, the proportionate increase
makes this method more profitable; it is claimed to increase the catch
about one-third. Scalloping with power necessitates the services of two
men, as one man has to cull while the other steers. At the end of the
"drift" the boat is stopped, and both men cull. With sail, culling can
be done when dredges are overboard. When two men scallop, the owner of
the boat takes three-fifths while his partner shares two-fifths of the
profit.
Twenty-five to 30 openers prepare the scallop for market during the
afternoons and evenings. These are paid at the rate of 25 cents per
gallon, and average about $1.50 per day, a good opener cutting out a
gallon of "eyes" in an hour. Small scallops open 700 "eyes" per gallon;
the larger ones, 500.
The 1907-08 season was successful, as the scallops were plentiful, the
daily catch per boat running between 5 and 50 bushels. About 17,000
gallons, valued at $22,270, were shipped between Oct. 1, 1907, and
April 1, 1908.
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