East Coast Shellfish Growers Association August 2021 Newsletter

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Pity the Plightof the ResourceManagerby Robert Rheault,ECSGA Executive DirectorThe job of the state resourcemanager is nearly impossible.They are expected to equitablybalance the use of all the marineresources under their purview, allocatingspace for and permittingactivities as diverse as wastewaterdisposal, marina operations, commercialand recreational fishingand navigation, and aquaculture.In addition, resource managers arerequired to follow the many federallaws that protect threatened andendangered species and protectedresources, such as critical habitatand submerged aquatic vegetation.They are called to protect andpreserve the natural resources ofthe state while also encouragingthe exploitation of those resourcesto the maximum extent possible.Most state constitutions mandatethat the marine resources of thestate be managed in a way thatmaximizes the benefit to the sovereign,meaning the population ofthe entire state.Virtually every decision the managermakes involves allocatingmarine resources fairly among thevarious stakeholders. For instance,resource managers must decidewhether fish and shellfish are bestharvested by recreational or commercialharvesters, draggers, orrod-and-reel fishermen. They decidewhere marinas and mooringfields are best located, how muchsewage effluent is acceptable instate waters, and of course, whereaquaculture leases are placed.Anyone who is forced to makeallocation decisions like theseis almost certainly going to pissoff the people who thought theydeserved a bigger share of the pie.Often managers are forced to takerights and privileges away from agroup that has enjoyed historicaluse rights in order to permit newuses and activities that didn’t previouslyexist (such as wind farmsand aquaculture).Resource managers are expectedto be neutral arbiters in what areoften contentious issues. Theymust struggle to ignore their ownopinions and follow the prioritiesestablished by the state’s legislatorsand executive branch. Pretendingyou don’t have a personalopinion is hard enough, but tryingto follow the will of a fickle legislaturecan be nightmarish.Invariably, managers’ decisionswill be challenged by those whofeel unjustly wronged. The aggrievedmay be unpleasant at publicmeetings, and more often thannot someone will try to go aroundthe decision-makers to seek a moreagreeable outcome by going up thefood chain (or worse yet, try to getthe decision-makers fired or reassigned).Many malcontents willthrow the managers under the buson social media or in the opinionpages of the local paper. Often,well-connected opponents willturn to the legislature to craft lawsthat restrict actions they want toprevent. Those with deep pocketsmight threaten or initiate lawsuits,sometimes against the state, butsometimes against the resourcemanagers themselves. Who wouldsign up for this job?Quite often resource managers areexpected to make these decisionswith limited information, or morecommonly with multiple sourcesof conflicting information. Publichearings typically feature presentationsby competing teams ofhighly qualified scientists bringingreams of data and science tothe table, each supporting oppositeviews of complicated issues.One group may claim a site is atreasured fishing hotspot, whileanother says no one ever fishesthere. Managers are expected tomake value judgments that arerarely straightforward. Shouldthey allocate fishery quota to theYOUNG FRANKENSTEIN/IMBD.COMIt's a safe bet that proposing to site ashellfish farm in front of a waterfronthome will bring out the mob wieldingpitchforks, torches, highly paid lawyersand expert witnesses.group that historically landedthose fish who then sell those fishto the people of the state to eat, orshould they allocate more quotato recreational fishermen who canclaim a much higher economicimpact?For decades I have tried to makethe argument that while eelgrassmay be a wonderful habitat formany species of juvenile critters—and may be very effective in stabilizingthe sediments, removingnutrients and providing forage—shellfish aquaculture providessimilar ecosystem services, andin many cases can do an equallygood or even better job. How isthe resource manager supposedto weigh these statements thatare equally true when each side isbacked up by hundreds of peerreviewedscientific papers?I suspect that resource managersare trained in how to weighcompeting claims and come upwith equitable solutions to complexissues, but they also need togrow a thick skin. When decisionsdon’t go their way, aggrieved userswill often resort to ad hominemattacks, impugning the morals andmotivations of the decision makers.I recall many hearings whereopponents of various projects, havingrun out of arguments to offer,turned to attacking the qualificationsor scruples of the decisionmakers (as well as the applicant).While I often like to describeshellfish farming as a win-win-win(sustainable seafood, jobs and economicdevelopment, with ecosystembenefits to boot), it is almostunavoidable that placing a leaseanywhere will negatively impactsomeone. Water skiers might needto find another spot, sailors mighthave to chart a different course,waterfront homeowners mighthave to deal with changes to theirviewscape.— Continued on page 12Page 10 ECSGA Newsletter Issue 3 August 2021
Researchers Closing in onSolution to Clam QPXby Robert Rheault,ECSGA Executive DirectorA collaborative team 1 led by Bassem Allamat Stony Brook University’s Marine AnimalDisease Lab and funded by NOAA has beenworking on examining variations in the hardclamgenome in populations along the EastCoast. Their goal is to identify which genesregulate various traits, in hopes of selectinglines of clams with desired traits, such as rapidgrowth, harder shells, and resistance to diseaseand environmental stressors.Since the 1990s clam growers on Cape Codhave suffered devastating mortalities related toa parasite historically known as QPX, QuahogParasite Unknown, but recently named asMucochytrium quahogii. Since the parasite isubiquitous along the East Coast, and mortalitiesoutside of Cape Cod are rare, pathologistshave long suspected that mortalities were probablycaused by stress or genetics.In 2002 researchers were able to show a geneticlink to QPX resistance by planting clams fromdifferent stocks into a location with high mortalities.When some lines survived better thanothers it became clear there was a genetic basisfor resistance. By using genetic sequencingtools researchers have been working to identifywhich genes are linked to survival, so thathatcheries can select animals with those genesto create lines of resistant clams.Genetic sequencing allows researchers tolook for single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)—mutations in the genetic code wherethe replacement of a single nucleotide leadsto changes in traits. The team planted clamsfrom two populations (one susceptible andone largely resistant) in an area known forQPX mortalities. By looking at the frequenciesof different SNPs in the populations beforeand after a mortality event, they were ableto identify which genes might be associatedwith resistance. They found that about 200SNPs changed in frequency among the survivors,pointing to potential resistance markers.Researchers at the Virginia Institute of MarineScience (Ann Ropp and collaborators) examinedthe genetic diversity in 450 clams collectedfrom Canada to South Carolina, looking fordifferences in the DNA. They discovered overa 100,000 SNPs and identified six geneticallydistinct populations.The research effort at Stony Brook aims to describethe genetic diversity of the species alongthe East Coast and develop affordable genotypingmethods to identify genetic markers associatedwith relevant traits for selective breeding.Although their initial focus is to identify clamstocks for QPX-disease resistance and heattolerance, future research could target othertraits. These studies have identified a large setof markers that can be used as a solid basis forusing marker-assisted selection of hard clamsfor economically important traits. Stay tuned!1. storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3425623358164278bbe1ed7f7311a605NEWPlastic Corrugated Boxes!MADE IN U.S.A.■ Tough & DurableConstruction■ 100% Recyclablewith Plastic # 5■ Waterproof■ Space Savingvs. Foam■ Weight Savingvs. Waxed BoxesP P CPACKAGING PRODUCTS CORPORATIONFISH AND SHELLFISH PACKAGING SPECIALISTS198 Herman Melville Boulevard, New Bedford, MA 02740 USA Ph 1-508-997-5150Fax: 1-508-993-9807 • USA & Canada Toll Free 1-800-225-0484Email: info@pkgprod.com • Website: www.pkgprod.comReach out today!ECSGA Newsletter Issue 3 August 2021 Page 11
Page 1 and 2: East Coast Shellfish Growers Associ
Page 3 and 4: A Win for the Good Guysby Robert Rh
Page 5 and 6: Can Raw Foods Be Eaten Without Risk
Page 7 and 8: — Continued from page 3Summer Har
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Page 13 and 14: — Continued from page 8Propositio
Page 15 and 16: How Much Habitat Benefit Do Shellfi

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association August 2021 Newsletter

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