Silkes blue mussel farm approved

December 2, 2013, PROVIDENCE –The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) recently approved the lease of a blue mussel farm off Jamestown, the second in the state.

At the November 26 semi-monthly meeting of the CRMC, Adam Silkes, son of American Mussel Harvesters, Inc. owner Bill Silkes, was unanimously given permission to grow and harvest mussels on an 8.25-acre site along the west side of the island, south of the Jamestown Bridge at the mouth of Dutch Harbor.

Silkes has had a successful commercial viability project and overcame a number of objections from people citing user conflicts. The application included site adjustments to avoid eelgrass beds, a temporary anchorage area, and to accommodate fixed gear and mobile gear commercial fishermen. He worked with Save The Bay, the Jamestown Harbormaster and local commercial fishermen to satisfy their concerns.

“This whole application has been a fairly lengthy process in that Adam has had a successful commercial viability and three preliminary determinations,” said David Beutel, CRMC’s aquaculture coordinator. “Adam has worked hard with the fishing industry to satisfy their concerns, and to find a location with minimal user conflicts. These (mussels) are native and grow everywhere, but the most efficient method of harvest is to grow them.”

Silkes’ farm will employ the use of a series of longlines anchored at each end to suspend the mussel ropes in the water. The area is deep enough that the lines will not touch the bottom and will be suspended six feet below the surface, so navigation through the area should not be a problem. The overall site is approximately 2,400 feet long by 450 feet wide. The lines will be in three groups of four wide, each 600 feet long, with a 200-foot separation between each series.

“We ship all over the country, and there is a growing demand for mussels,” said Bill Silkes of his own business. “As a businessman, I’m looking for more suppliers.” When asked about the product, Silkes said they presented the Blue Golds grown by Adam Silkes, along with other varieties, to people at Whole Foods and the buyer chose the Blue Golds. “He said they were the best he’d ever eaten.”

The Silkes site also encompasses a former oyster aquaculture farm that the CRMC repossessed because the lessee was not adhering to the stipulations of his assent. William Geib was granted a lease in 1997, and the Geib encountered a number of problems with compliance with the lease terms. The Council repossessed the area and ordered removal of the equipment in early 2013, making the area available for other uses.