Sengekontacket Pond is open to shellfishing again as of August 28, on a conditional basis, after state testing showed bacteria levels meet safety standards.
The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) closed shellfish growing areas this summer after heavy rain events in July and August.
The DMF said shellfish are filter feeders, and concentrate contaminants from the environment. DMF manages these growing areas, and can shut them down on short notice after storms, sewer overflows, spills, or the occurrence of red tide — a harmful algae that shellfish consume. Shellfish don’t get sick from the algae, but they store the dangerous toxins in their bodies, and eating contaminated shellfish can cause illness in humans, such as paralytic shellfish poisoning or neurotoxic shellfish poisoning.
Harvesting shellfish in Sengekontacket, across from State Beach on the other side of Beach Road, is conditionally approved in the summer months, when water quality meets standards. The main pond closes after 0.3 inches of rain, and after more than two inches, the state must retest before it can be reopened.
DMF tests for fecal coliform, an indicator of microbes linked to food-borne illness that make shellfish unsafe to eat. Multiple storms in July and August forced several rounds of testing. After more than two inches of rain hit the Island in early July, samples were taken July 13, July 16, and August 12. Results that met the standard for safe consumption came back August 25.
Majors Cove, a small area of the pond, remains closed until Nov. 1 because of seasonal poor water quality. From Nov. 1 through May 31, most of Sengekontacket Pond, including Majors Cove, is open, while some smaller areas, identified by the DMF as V16.33 and V16.7, remain prohibited year-round.
