Waters under jurisdiction of the East Hampton Town Trustees will open for scalloping on Nov. 10, the governing body agreed on Friday.
Bay scallops, a local delicacy, can be taken from trustee waters from 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 10 through March 31, 2020. Trustee waters open almost one week later than New York State waters, which will open on Nov. 4 this year. The trustees delay the opening to allow scallops additional time to spawn.
Opening waters on Nov. 10 “is to give everybody in town a chance to go out on a Sunday,” said Bill Taylor, a deputy clerk of the trustees. No motorized equipment can be used on Sundays.
According to the town’s shellfish ordinance, those bearing a commercial permit can harvest up to five bushels of scallops per day. Two or more commercial permittees taking scallops from the same boat can take a total of up to 10 bushels in a day. If only one of two or more people in the same boat holds a commercial permit, the limit is five bushels per day.
All other permittees can harvest one bushel per day. Three or more noncommercial permittees in the same boat are limited to a total of three bushels per day.
The trustees sell bushel bags, which must be used in harvesting all shellfish, including scallops, for $1.