CHATHAM, Mass., — November 29, 2013 — This spring could see one of the biggest mussel harvests in recent memory – if the ducks don’t get them all first.
Chatham fishermen and the shellfish department believe an extensive mussel set in Chatham Harbor survived their most vulnerable seed stage and are now about 3/4 of an inch in size. They could reach market size by March, Shellfish Constable Renee Gagnee said, if the town can protect them from the flocks of eider ducks that are now feasting on them.
Selectmen recently approved Gagnee’s proposal to use various methods to scare ducks away from three areas of the harbor. The areas only represent a small portion of the harbor and the ducks would still have extensive areas to feed on mussel beds both inside and in a large area off North Beach, he said.
Selectmen approved a plan that included mooring a barge east of Strong Island that would have an acoustic cannon firing at 30-minute intervals. The noise would be dissipated by the distance of the island from residential areas and dunes on the island would also block much of the sound, Gagnee said.
Sound measurements will be taken at landings closest to the area. Recent testing already showed the sound at 120 decibels at less than 5 feet from the cannon, lower than the 165 decibels of a shotgun blast.