2022 Recreational Shellfish Harvesting “Shellfish Sit-In”

PROTEST THE CLOSING OF THE SHELLFISHING BEDS

Date: Tuesday, November 1
Time: 3:00pm
Where: Driftway Conservation Park, Scituate
Who: Concerned citizens who want recreational access restored.

Help Reopen Recreational Shellfishing on the North and South Rivers

Help reopen recreational shellfishing on the North and South Rivers by joining the NSRWA, Representative Patrick Kearney and other concerned citizens for a “Shellfish Sit-In” on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 3 pm at Driftway Conservation Park in Scituate. (Click here to register.)  November 1st is typically the opening day for the 606 acres of shellfish beds in the North and South Rivers to be opened for recreational harvest, but this year for the third year in a row, the shellfish beds will not be opened. Bring your waders,  boots and shellfishing equipment (NSRWA will provide signs) for a photo opportunity to raise awareness about the issue. We will not be actually shellfishing.

Why? In October 2020, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (Mass-DMF) closed the beds indefinitely, citing an FDA regulation for interstate commercial shellfishing that requires certain dilution rates around a sewer treatment plant outfall in the event they fail or may release untreated viruses from the effluent into the rivers. Despite the NSRWA’s best efforts and large municipal expenditures to upgrade and treat the wastewater to the highest standards, including UV treatment effective at the removal of viruses, the dilution rates will undoubtedly keep some part of the shellfish beds in the North and South Rivers closed indefinitely.  The NSRWA and others have been advocating that the regulations are overly restrictive and meant to govern commercial not recreational shellfishing and that the current water quality data shows very clean effluent and no evidence of virus contamination that would be a threat to public health.  An update on the efforts to re open the shellfish beds will be provded at the event.

How Can You Help? We need your help to keep the pressure on to make sure that regulators understand how important this aspect of our coastal heritage is and that the harvest of local, traditional food from our waterways is not denied to the public. 

1. Attend our Shellfish Sit-In on Tuesday, November 1, 2021, at 3 pm at Driftway Conservation Park in Scituate (Register here.)
2. Share your shellfishing story with photos about what shellfishing means to you at the Shellfishin’ is Our Tradition Facebook page.

What’s at stake?  The ability for the public to harvest shellfish in the North and South Rivers. To teach your children and grandchildren this time-honored tradition. To connect people to the health of their rivers and waterways by ensuring that our waters are clean enough to eat from.

Contact: Samantha Woods, Executive Director, North and South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) Email samantha@nsrwa.org or call 781-659-8168 X101