Governor Healey Announces $300,000 Financial Relief for North Shore Shellfish Harvesters Impacted by Haverhill Sewage Overflow

Governor Healey Announces $300,000 Financial Relief for North Shore Shellfish Harvesters Impacted by Haverhill Sewage Overflow 

Funds will support the shellfish industry and bolster the local economy 

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey announced today $300,000 in economic relief for shellfish harvesters and oyster growers impacted by the emergency shellfish closures on the North Shore. This program will assist shellfishers who were not able to harvest during a 12-day closure following the unprecedented sewage overflow in the Merrimack River. 

 “Last week’s sewer line break in the Merrimack River was very disruptive and significantly impacted many people,” said Governor Healey. “We know that it really hit our shellfish harvesters hard, especially at their busiest time of their season when prices and demand for local shellfish is really high. I wanted to find a way to help those folks out who still have to pay their bills even though beds were closed. Massachusetts is proud of the culturally and economically important tradition of shellfishing. We value their hard work and are committed to supporting them as they continue to provide food for our families, restaurants and others.” 

 “Stronger storms and increased precipitation strain our aging sewer infrastructure, which impacts our shellfish industry,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We responded swiftly to contain the overflow, track impacts on shellfish resources, and quickly identify funding to support harvesters impacted by this event. With the emergency closure lifted, we look forward to harvesters getting back to work early next week.” 

Economic Relief Program 

 The economic relief program, administered by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), will distribute $300,000 to shellfish harvesters impacted by the closure. This amount covers the maximum estimated shellfish harvest from the impacted growing areas during the 12-day emergency closure. Funds will be distributed to eligible harvesters from Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Essex, Gloucester and Rockport. In the coming days, DMF is immediately convening an advisory group of impacted shellfish harvesters to provide input and feedback to determine eligibility, payment structure and ensure funds are distributed fairly across the industry. 

 “This economic relief will go a long way to support our harvesters who work tirelessly to provide iconic softshell clams and oysters on the North Shore,” said Department of Fish & Game (DFG) Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “We are grateful for our partners in the legislature, municipalities, and industry leaders who have come together to identify ways to support our shellfish harvesters as we navigate increased challenges from sewage overflows across the state.” 

“We work diligently to uphold rigorous public health standards and ensure shellfish are safe to eat. This includes close work with our shellfish constables and harvesters to respond quickly when emergencies like this happen and work swiftly to reopen areas as soon as possible. Thanks to this robust partnership, when you order Massachusetts shellfish at restaurants and markets, you can trust it is safe, healthy, and delicious,” said DMF Director Dan McKiernan. 

Reopening Status 

On June 29, to comply with national public health standards, DMF issued an emergency shellfish closure for shellfish growing areas N1—N14 in Gloucester, Newburyport, Essex, Ipswich, Newbury, Rockport, Rowley, and Salisbury due to the sewer overflow in Haverhill. Since then, water quality tests have been improving across the region. Because of the water quality improvements, DMF tested shellfish meats in some of these areas for male-specific coliphage, a viral pathogen indicator. Those tests came back negative on July 9. This means that the most active shellfishing areas are no longer subject to a much longer emergency closure associated with the Haverhill SSO, and instead will only be subject to a short-term routine closure associated with the recent rainfall. Many active shellfish areas are expected to reopen over the coming week if weather conditions allow. These various closure protocols protect public health and comply with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.   

Shellfish Safety 

Shellfish sold in markets and in restaurants remain safe to eat. Rigorous national standards and active management of these areas will ensure shellfish remain safe as areas reopen. Shellfish are filter feeders, and they can quickly accumulate and concentrate contaminants from the environment, and also naturally filter out contaminants.