The Martha's Vineyard Times

Lake Tashmoo reopened for shellfishing

July 20, 2012

File photo by Nelson Sigelman

Clammers can get back to digging and raking for shellfish in Tashmoo now that the pond has been reopened.

Tisbury reopened Lake Tashmoo to all shellfishing Friday. Shellfish constable Danielle Ewart made the announcement in a press release issued at 12:30 pm, July 20.

Lake Tashmoo was closed to shellfishing on July 11, after Ms. Ewart discovered a potentially toxic algae bloom, prorocentrum lima, on routine inspection of shellfish that day.

Ms. Ewart said state officials notified her Friday morning that additional testing had cleared the pond for shellfishing and that it could be reopened immediately. No further information was provided by the state, the press release said.

Tashmoo, a body of water on the north side of the Island, is called a lake, but it is permanently connected to Vineyard Sound by a narrow channel.

In a telephone call immediately following the July 11 closure, state Division of Marine Fisheries biologist Michael Hickey said prorocentrum lima has the potential to be toxic. He said that until tests could be completed there was no way to know if the strain found in Lake Tashmoo was toxic and the prudent thing to do was close it.

Lagoon Pond was unaffected by the algae bloom and remained opened to all shellfishing.