All it takes is to imagine the last remaining wild scallop fishery on the East Coast becoming extinct or the Polpis, Madaket or Nantucket Harbors sustaining a major fuel spill, to understand why these natural resources need protecting. It isn’t just that scalloping is a romantic venture and the harbors are beautiful to the naked eye; it’s that if anything were to permanently degrade these resources, our entire island economy would suffer the consequences.
The shellfish industry is a multi-million dollar piece of the off season economy, linking the local fishermen and women on and under our waters to diners in the restaurants of Chicago, Boston and New York. Openers, wholesalers and even FedEx are some of the ancillary beneficiaries as well. This is a traditional industry, like farming, and a recognized national treasure that should be carefully managed and protected for generations to come.
The harbors of Nantucket are under increasing pressure from competing uses (both recreational and commercial) and are becoming more vulnerable each year. Water quality is directly linked to the harbor’s productivity for fishing and its appeal for recreation. Sustainable Nantucket encourages and supports all efforts by all groups to study and influence the protection of our pristine waters.
The work we do currently focuses on the following project areas:
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