FALMOUTH – Falmouth selectmen awarded three aquaculture permits to local shellfishermen to grow oysters in the Eel River earlier this month.
The town is looking to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the water, and growing oysters is a way to accomplish that goal.
Falmouth Selectwoman Megan English-Braga was impressed with the applicant pool.
“We hope everybody takes applications seriously, but we get a different range, and these were as thorough as I’ve seen for most applications for just about anything that comes before this board,” English-Braga said.
The licenses were given to Daniel Ward of Ward Aquafarms, Matthew Weeks, founder of the Nantucket Sound Shellfish Company, and the Falmouth Shellfish Cooperative, which is comprised of three shellfish farms.
“I thought it was a good time to apply,” Ward said, “to be one of the applicants to help partner with the town to clean up the estuaries.”
The applicants are aiming to begin work at the river next spring.