Section 20A. The director shall assist and cooperate with coastal cities and towns for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a program of self-help to said cities and towns for the cultivation, propagation and protection of shellfish. Funds to carry out the purposes of this section shall annually be appropriated from the Tourism and Industrial Promotion Fund. The director may expend such sums as may be appropriated from said fund, but such sums as are expended therefor shall be conditional upon the expenditure of an equal amount of money by said cities and towns.

The treasurer of each participating city or town shall certify to the director annually the amounts so appropriated by said city or town, which for the purposes of this act shall be equal to the total shellfish department budget.

The director, with the approval of the commissioner, shall certify to the state treasurer on an annual basis all sums pledged to the aforesaid purpose by said cities and towns. Family use areas and recreational shellfish areas set aside pursuant to section fifty-two which are cultivated, propagated or protected under the funding or provisions of this section shall be open to all inhabitants of the commonwealth upon payment of a reasonable fee.