This is RIDEM with a Shellfish Closure Update,
Effective Noon 12/1/2020 the following areas are closed to shellfish harvesting: all Conditional Areas (A, D, Greenwich Bay, Mt. Hope Bay, Kickemuit River and Point Judith Pond) and all waters south of Conditional area A and north of a line from the southeast corner of Quonset Point to the northern most tip of Jamestown to the southernmost tip of Prudence Island to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management range marker located approximately 900 feet south of Carr Point. Conditional Areas A and D are scheduled to reopen at Noon on 12/11/2020. All other areas are scheduled to reopen at Noon on 12/8/2020.
Procedures to follow during the excessive rainfall closures announced 12/1/20:
Shellfish harvested after noon 12/1/2020 from the portions of Shellfish Harvest Areas 3W and 4A that remain open shall be assigned harvest area 3W South and 4A South.
Aquaculture farmers are reminded that:
Access to leases in the effected areas is limited to necessary maintenance/retrieval of their equipment, and for the purposes of preparing for and planting oyster seed. If the lessee intends to conduct maintenance and/or retrieval of their equipment, or prepare for or plant seed they are required to notify Ben Goetsch, CRMC’s Aquaculture Coordinator by leaving a message at 783-3370.
Where an extended closure period has been enacted (greater than seven (7) days), access to the lease for non-harvest activities may be allowed. The lessee must seek and obtain authorization by contacting RIDEM’s Law Enforcement division at 401-222-3070 to conduct any non-harvest activities.
Sign up to receive email notifications of conditional area and emergency closures by sending an email to RishellfishOWR-subscribe@listserve.ri.gov or click on the Subscribe button on this webpage under Stay Informed. This voluntary email list is used to distribute information on water quality-related shellfish harvesting restrictions. As required by RI General Law ยง 20-8.1-3, DEM will continue to provide notice of harvesting restrictions on the 24-hour shellfish hotline recording at 401-222-2900.
For information regarding where you can harvest shellfish, please refer to the interactive Shellfish Map, which can be found by clicking on “Shellfish Map” on the “Shellfish Links” menu located on the right side of the Shellfish Home page (dem.ri.gov/shellfish)
Current Status of CONDITIONALLY APPROVED areas of Upper Narragansett Bay, Greenwich Bay, Mount Hope Bay, or the Kickemuit River or other emergency closures may be obtained by calling the Shellfish Closure Hotline 401-222-2900 24 hours a day. If you have questions or concerns about shellfish closures, you may call (401)222-4700 or email them to dem.shellfish@dem.ri.gov
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