EASTHAM The Select Board on Monday voted to temporarily increase the number of quahogs commercial shellfish harvesters are allowed to take, despite concerns from some Eastham and Orleans officials about how the measure might affect the town s shellfish stock.
The temporary increase, which went into effect Tuesday and will run through Jan. 2., will allow commercial harvesters eight bushels of quahogs each. No more than two of those bushels can be cherrystones and littlenecks. All other bushels must be large chowders that cannot pass through a 3-inch ring.
Select Board Chairwoman Jamie Demetri said the request for the increase came from the shellfish community. She cited Wellfleet’s Saturday shellfish market as a way the town was trying to help local shellfish harvesters.