After a standout year for scalloping in the Lagoon Pond, Tisbury has closed its side of the pond for the remainder of the season in order to protect next year’s scallop harvest.

The recommendation from the town shellfish department came at the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday and was unanimously approved by the board. The closure is effective immediately.

“We had a great fall and early winter,” assistant shellfish constable Donald MacGillivray said, reporting that 1,980 bushels of scallops were harvested.

“What’s left is mainly seed, and we’d like to retain the seed so we have a banner year next year,” Mr. MacGillivray told the selectmen.

Jamie Tilton, a member of the shellfish committee who attended the meeting, said the closure was “definitely worth it.”

The Oak Bluffs side of Lagoon Pond remains open to scalloping, shellfish constable David Grunden told the Gazette Wednesday.

The Oak Bluffs scallop haul was about a quarter of Tisbury’s, he said, with between 500 and 600 bushels taken. Mr. Grunden said while the pond remains open, the season effectively ended a month ago due to the cold weather.

“We didn’t have anybody going out,” he said. “If someone desperately wants to go out, they can.”