Shellfishing in Buzzards Bay is back in business now that the ban issued on October 7 has been lifted.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine and Fisheries officially lifted the ban as of noon on October 31 after analysis results showed that the toxin-emitting phytoplankton bloom that has plagued Buzzards Bay waters for over three weeks has now dissipated.
In an October 31 letter issued to various towns surrounding Buzzards Bay, Mass DMF Director David Pierce wrote, “Upon further inspection, the [DMF] has determined that the potentially toxic phytoplankton bloom of Pseudonitzschia sp. In the waters of Mount Hope Bay, Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, Nantucket Sound and the south shore of Cape Cod, which can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), has dissipated.”
Toxicity screening of shellfish samples completed by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Amine, as well as DMF labs, concluded that shellfish from the specified areas were now safe for human consumption.
The toxic bloom had closed shellfishing in the region, except for bay scallops, sea scallops, and whelks.
By Jean Perry