Days after reopening, Mattapoisett waters again close to shellfishing

Mar 24, 2024

MATTAPOISETT — Portions of Buzzards Bay waters in Mattapoisett and other municipalities have again been closed to shellfishing, just days after some of those areas had been reopened from a prior emergency closure.

Due to combined sewer overflow discharges caused by heavy rainfall March 23, shellfish growing areas in Mattapoisett, as well as Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Gosnold and New Bedford have been closed to shellfishing, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries said March 24. 

Some of those waters, including areas in Mattapoisett, had been closed to shellfishing between Feb. 28 and March 21, also due to combined sewer overflow discharges.

The digging, harvesting or collecting of shellfish or attempts to do so, except for bay scallops harvested for the adductor muscle, and the possession of shellfish from those portions of Buzzards Bay is prohibited until further notice, the Division of Marine Fisheries notice said.

The specific areas were E1, E4 and BB10 through BB23. Mapped boundaries of shellfish growing areas can be found at mass.gov/info-details/shellfish-classification-areas.