Shellfish beds may reopen Wednesday
NORWALK
By ROBERT KOCH
Hour Staff Writer
Norwalk's recreational shellfish beds could open Wednesday, if there is no heavy rainfall between now and then and recently taken shellfish samples show that bacteria levels have decreased.
And that would mark a welcome change for recreational shell fishermen. Shell-fishing beds at Calf Pasture Beach have been closed since April 24, when shellfish were transferred into the area but never fully cleansed of bacteria.
"They haven't cleansed because we had a couple rain events and that's where you get high bacteria levels," said Kristin Frank, environmental analyst with the state Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Aquaculture, which samples shellfish to protect public health.
"We took water samples on June 7 and those (bacteria levels) were elevated as well. We sampled (Monday) and we'll have results on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure that they will reopen barring any unforeseen rain events. I think Wednesday -- if we get good water-quality and shellfish sample results," Frank said.
As part of the cleansing process, boats and dredges transfer shellfish from areas closer to the inner harbor, where water quality is not as good as elsewhere, to recreational shell-fishing beds in open-water areas such as Calf Pasture Beach. This year, the Calf Pasture Beach beds were closed April 24. The transfer began but took longer than originally planned.
And then rain compounded the timetable by increasing runoff. Storm-water runoff is the primary booster of bacteria levels. Sources include wildlife, pets and septic systems, according to Frank.
On Monday afternoon, the hotline maintained by the Norwalk Health Department at (203) 838-9807 advised residents that recreational shell-fishing beds in Norwalk were closed due to elevated bacteria levels. Sampling, as Frank indicated, was done Monday. Shell fishermen were advised to call back Wednesday for a possible reopening of the beds.
"If you want to go shell-fishing and go down and get a permit and go out, those areas are closed because we have rainfall limits," said Timothy J. Callahan, director of the Norwalk Health Department, one of three offices that issue shell-fishing permits. "They stay closed until the state Bureau of Aquaculture deems that they can be reopened."
Callahan said recreational shell fishermen who've purchased permits are finding out that the beds are closed and "they're not happy." Some have asked for their money back. Callahan's advice is to "just wait because they're going to re-open."
According to Callahan, the opening and closing of shellfish beds once was triggered automatically by the weather. For instance, if beds were closed due to heavy rains and a certain number of days passed without additional rainfall, the beds reopened. These days, the Bureau of Aquaculture now tests waters before reopening closed shell-fishing beds.
NORWALK
By ROBERT KOCH
Hour Staff Writer
Norwalk's recreational shellfish beds could open Wednesday, if there is no heavy rainfall between now and then and recently taken shellfish samples show that bacteria levels have decreased.
And that would mark a welcome change for recreational shell fishermen. Shell-fishing beds at Calf Pasture Beach have been closed since April 24, when shellfish were transferred into the area but never fully cleansed of bacteria.
"They haven't cleansed because we had a couple rain events and that's where you get high bacteria levels," said Kristin Frank, environmental analyst with the state Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Aquaculture, which samples shellfish to protect public health.
"We took water samples on June 7 and those (bacteria levels) were elevated as well. We sampled (Monday) and we'll have results on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure that they will reopen barring any unforeseen rain events. I think Wednesday -- if we get good water-quality and shellfish sample results," Frank said.
As part of the cleansing process, boats and dredges transfer shellfish from areas closer to the inner harbor, where water quality is not as good as elsewhere, to recreational shell-fishing beds in open-water areas such as Calf Pasture Beach. This year, the Calf Pasture Beach beds were closed April 24. The transfer began but took longer than originally planned.
And then rain compounded the timetable by increasing runoff. Storm-water runoff is the primary booster of bacteria levels. Sources include wildlife, pets and septic systems, according to Frank.
On Monday afternoon, the hotline maintained by the Norwalk Health Department at (203) 838-9807 advised residents that recreational shell-fishing beds in Norwalk were closed due to elevated bacteria levels. Sampling, as Frank indicated, was done Monday. Shell fishermen were advised to call back Wednesday for a possible reopening of the beds.
"If you want to go shell-fishing and go down and get a permit and go out, those areas are closed because we have rainfall limits," said Timothy J. Callahan, director of the Norwalk Health Department, one of three offices that issue shell-fishing permits. "They stay closed until the state Bureau of Aquaculture deems that they can be reopened."
Callahan said recreational shell fishermen who've purchased permits are finding out that the beds are closed and "they're not happy." Some have asked for their money back. Callahan's advice is to "just wait because they're going to re-open."
According to Callahan, the opening and closing of shellfish beds once was triggered automatically by the weather. For instance, if beds were closed due to heavy rains and a certain number of days passed without additional rainfall, the beds reopened. These days, the Bureau of Aquaculture now tests waters before reopening closed shell-fishing beds.