Tagged: shellfish

Aquaculture, the practice of farming fish and shellfish in the sea, is doing well in the Ocean State.

The good news for aquaculture farmers is the industry is growing. The Coastal Resources Management Council says the number of aquaculture farms increased in the last year from 43 to 50.  The industry contributes 105 jobs to the local economy. CRMC’s David Beutel said the industry is healthy and will be able to adapt to climate change.

“That will be a change to our industry," he said. "But that is something that will be more easily handled.”

Shell fishermen are banned from fishing in the Upper Narragansett Bay. The Department of Environmental Management has found high levels of bacteria in the water.

DEM’s Chief of Surface Water Protection, Angelo Liberti, says it’s due to a portion of the Bucklin Point Wastewater Treatment plant in East Providence being taken offline. "And with the last rain event, they had some trouble balancing their treatment flow through their system which resulted in the release of partially treated wastewater.”

A Rhode Island shell fishing area is closed.  The Conimicut Triangle and Area A of the upper Narragansett Bay is closed because of discharge from a waste water treatment plant in East Providence.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the discharge had elevated fecal coliform levels.

The waters will be closed to shell fishing until sunrise Tuesday March 5th.  

The DEM says the Bucklin Point Waste Water Treatment Facility is working with the Department staff to meet stricter discharge limits.

The state is creating its first ever statewide Shellfish Management Plan. It's seeking advice on the plan from people involved in aquaculture, fishing and restoration. But why does the state think such a plan is critical for the species to thrive?