Oyster season opens in West Tisbury this month following approval by the town selectmen and shellfish committee of dates and limits.

The recreational and commercial season will run from Nov. 9 to April 29 in the Tisbury Great Pond. Commercial oystermen are allowed eight bags daily with 100 oysters per bag. Commercial license holders are allowed to fish three out of five days, Monday through Friday; no commercial fishing is allowed on weekends. Recreational license holders may fish seven days and take a half bushel per week.

“It’s still early as to how well we’re going to do , there has been some reported die off of oysters in the pond,” said shellfish constable Ray Gale. Last winter due to extremely cold temperatures, the outer edge of the pond froze with ice 16 to 20 inches deep, Mr. Gale said, and oysters at the shallow end of the pond froze and died. They have also had problems with dermo, a disease that affects oysters. Despite the freeze that killed oysters along the edge, the pond breach to the sea stayed opened from December to August, allowing for a good flushing, Mr. Gale said.

“Isaiah Scheffer, the Chilmark shellfish constable, said the live ones grew pretty well this summer,” he reported.

Oysters for harvest must be more than three inches in length and less than four inches in length to protect both the seed oysters and the brood stock. Seeded areas are cordoned off with buoys in the pond. Wild oysters take three to five years to grow to marketable size, compared with farmed oysters which are ready in about 18 months.

Recreational shellfishing is allowed in areas where commercial fishermen are not, including Tiah’s Cove where oysters are accessible close to shore in plentiful numbers to get a family mess, Mr. Gale said.

Commercial licenses cost $150; recreational licenses cost $25 and are free for seniors over 65. Non-resident family licenses cost $125.

The town selectmen preemptively approved the regulations at their meeting on Wednesday, subject to the recommendation of the shellfish committee.

They also appointed Andrew Woodruff to fill George Hough’s seat on the land bank advisory board. Mr. Hough died in September.