WESTPORT — The town’s Shellfish Advisory Board will take a closer look at shellfish farm rules after two local oyster farmers asked last week that their one-acre plots be allowed to expand into deeper waters.

Christopher Jusseaume, operator of a one acre farm on the river’s West Branch (his father Michael owns another), told the Board of Selectmen that they both need the added space to make their businesses viable.

Their present sites (near the “Lion’s Tongue” toward the branch’s southern end) have been doing fairly well. Mr. Jusseaume told selectmen, except in winter.

Because they are so shallow they sometims freeze nearly to the bottom which takes a toll on the oysters, he said.

“To sell year-round, we need areas where we can keep market-size oysters,” Mr. Jusseaume said, and without that it is nearly impossible to make a living.

Mr. Jusseaume asked that his and his father’s one-acre plots be expanded perhaps 60 feet west out to deeper water closer to (but not into) the channel.

He supports the idea, said Chris Leonard, the town’s director of marine services, but several things are needed to accomplish that.

The town would need to ask the state to survey the proposed area to make sure that it does not contain any eelgrass and that the bottom there is not productive.

Also, the rules would have to let transfers or expansions of active farms, such as this, be given priority over other applicants for space on the waiting list. That waiting list for aquaculture locations presently contains two names. He said it seems fair to favor those making an active effort to make a farm succeed should be favored over those who have made little commitment other than signing up to the waiting list (which requires a $100 non-refundable deposit).

And, since town rules now set a one acre maximum shellfish farm plot size, those rules would have to be amended.

Westport now has eight state-approved shellfish farm plots, five in the river and three outside. All are presently in use.

John Borden, of the Shellfish Advisory Board, voiced concern that making an exception in this instance might be seen as precedent-setting for others who might like to expand. “This is problematic … is it going to crop up again?”

Selectmen agreed unanimously with a motion offered by Brian Valcourt that the matter be referred to the Shellfish Advisory Board. He said that while he looks favorably on the request, the other board should weigh in on the requested regulation changes.