ESSEX, MA —North Shore shellfish harvesters who were shut off from work for nearly two weeks during this summer's Merrimack River sewage flow gained some relief this week with $300,000 in direct state aid.
Gov. Maura Healey announced the relief program through the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Shellfish beds were closed for 12 days after the Haverhill rupture that sent 8 million gallons of untreated sewage into the river — forcing the closure of beaches from Salem to Salisbury around the July 4 weekend.
On June 29, the Division of Marine Fisheries issued an emergency closure of shellfish growing areas N1—N14 in Gloucester, Newburyport, Essex, Ipswich, Newbury, Rockport, Rowley and Salisbury because of the sewer overflow in Haverhill. According to the state, the closure was required to protect public health and comply with national shellfish sanitation standards.
"When the sewer break forced shellfish beds to close during one of the busiest times of the year, we told these harvesters that we would have their backs," Healey said. "Today, we're delivering on that commitment. These are hardworking families and small businesses that are an important part of the North Shore's economy and way of life, and we're going to keep supporting them, protecting this industry and giving them more opportunities to get out on the water and earn a living."
"Shellfishing is a way of life on the North Shore, but it's also an iconic business that supports families, local restaurants, and our coastal communities," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O'Shea. "This relief helps make up for days these harvesters lost and helps keep an important part of our blue economy working."
The Division of Marine Fisheries tested shellfish from affected areas for indicators of contamination throughout the closure. Those tests came back negative on July 9, allowing the most active shellfish areas to move out of the extended emergency closure and reopen as weather conditions allowed.
Last week, Healey also announced expanded access to shellfish harvesting in Plum Island Sound after a two-year Division of Marine Fisheries study found significant improvements in water quality.
The updated requirements are designed to cut rainfall-related closures by more than half in most of the sound and could give more than 200 commercial shellfishers an average of 72 additional harvesting days each year.
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