Essex Select Board caps commercial shellfish licenses at 45 amid historic clam shortage

ESSEX — May 18, 2026 — Essex Select Board installs Annie Cameron as chair and cuts commercial shellfish licenses nearly in half to 45. The board opened its May 18 meeting by unanimously electing Cameron chair, with the prior chair continuing as secretary. The most debated item was the commercial shellfish license cap: Shellfish Constable Billy told the board the town's clam flats are "the worst I've ever seen," with only 25 of the existing 94-license ceiling currently in use and a digger averaging just 60 to 100 pounds per tide. Resident Ben Ferriero of 18 Sauganese Road presented a 1982 governor's shellfish survey and noted Ipswich has already trimmed its cap to 120 with only roughly 30 active diggers this season, urging the board to "put it as low as possible." The board settled on 45 — below the constable's suggested 60 and roughly the five-year average — with an annual review planned. In other action, the board approved a $148,552 weekly warrant, ordered a new police cruiser against a $73,000 fall Town Meeting appropriation, tabled a Board of Public Works appointment pending a missing resume, and approved two three-year Finance Committee appointments for Michael Flynn and Brian Gressler.