Coastal Zone Management Hires Paul Somerville as Shellfish Bed Restoration Program Coordinator

October 22, 1998
Contact: Anne Donovan
(617) 727-9530, x411

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (MCZM) announces the appointment of Paul Somerville, previously the Shellfish Constable for Wellfleet and President of the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association, as the new coordinator for the Shellfish Bed Restoration Program. This program brings together local, state, and federal forces to solve pollution problems so that shellfish beds can be reopened throughout the state.

"The state has reached a new height, with more than 300,000 acres of shellfish beds opened in the last few years," said Environmental Affairs Secretary Trudy Coxe. "This is clearly an extremely exciting time for the Shellfish Bed Restoration Program."

"With his extensive experience as a municipal shellfish constable, as well as a commercial shellfish harvester and aquaculture professional, Paul is a perfect fit for this position," said Peg Brady, Director of MCZM. "He will do a tremendous job bringing the many different interests together to clean up and open shellfish beds up and down the coast."

Mr. Somerville, a Wellfleet resident, has served as a municipal shellfish officer for over 10 years, first in the town of Mashpee and most recently in Wellfleet. Under his management, Wellfleet's shellfish resources improved tremendously, with sales of non- commercial permits increasing from 540 to 1,200. His experience as shellfish officer in these two communities has given him a strong background in working with local boards and committees, as well as a thorough understanding of shellfish management issues at the local level. Mr. Somerville also served as president of the Massachusetts Shellfish Officers Association for four terms, which gives him detailed knowledge of shellfish issues statewide.

Mr. Somerville's has 17 years of hands-on experience with shellfishing and aquaculture. For four years, he was an aquaculture consultant and laborer in Wellfleet, developing and implementing a plan to raise quahogs from hatchery produced seed. He was also a licensed commercial shellfisherman in Orleans for six years, harvesting blue mussels, soft-shell clams, quahogs, and bay scallops. This background gives him a strong feel for the commercial perspective on shellfish issues. He also has a B.S. in Environmental Analysis from the University of New England.

"I am looking forward to utilizing my education, municipal employment background, and practical experiences in coastal resource issues to help the Commonwealth's coastal communities improve marine water quality, pursue shellfish habitat restoration and improvement, and work on shellfish resource management," said Mr. Somerville.

Through his professional affiliations and activities, Mr. Somerville has also influenced a variety of local and statewide shellfish and aquaculture programs and policies. He participated in the development of Massachusetts Aquaculture Strategic Plan, was a member of the Barnstable County Shellfish Advisory Committee, advised the state's Department of Environmental Protection as a member of the Aquaculture Subcommittee of the Farmland Advisory Committee, and was a member of the WHOI Sea Grant Program's Marine Outreach Guidance Group, among numerous other affiliations.