Good news for shellfishers in Clinton: the town's shellfish beds have been approved to remain open year-round, according to Shellfish Commission Chair Wayne Church.

Three years ago, Clinton’s shellfish beds reopened for the first time in decades to much acclaim. Just because the beds reopened, however, did not mean the Shellfish Commission stopped working and that commitment has paid off. Church said that the department of agriculture has recently given the commission the authority to open the beds year-round.

“We’ve been doing meat and water testing for 15 years. Over the last four [years], we’ve been doing at least monthly testing. Well, the water quality is now so good we have permission to open year-round,” said Church. Previously shellfishing was allowed only seasonally.

The timing could not be better for the news that the beds can be open longer. Shellfishing passes go on sale from the town on Thursday, Dec. 1. The prices are $25 for residents and $15 for seniors and military members that are residents. For non-residents, the prices are $75 or $65 for nonresident seniors and military members. Non-residents can also purchase day passes for $25.

Shellfishing is allowed in two areas near Clinton Town Beach known as Area A and Area B. Area A is located off of the Town Beach. Church said that even though that area is technically allowed to be open year-round, the Commission will likely close it from May to September so as to not interfere with people going to the beach in the summer months. Area B, which is located along the beach but away from the swimming area, will remain open.

Getting to the point that the beds can now be open was not an easy task.

“This has been a long time coming. I’m completely ecstatic. It feels like the culmination of everything not only I have worked for, but that the Town has worked for through multiple first selectmen and now the Town Council,” said Church.

Clinton’s shellfish beds were once the source of regionally famous oysters, but then the oysters began succumbing to disease. Pollution also affected the beds’ ability to grow edible shellfish and so they were closed decades ago.

In 2004, the town began a concerted effort to reopen the beds, but those efforts were dealt serious setbacks by Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

As part of the process of opening the beds, periodic water and oyster samples were required to be sent to the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Aquaculture (DABA). In September 2018, DABA representatives finally agreed that the presented results of the surveys cleared the way for the beds to open in 2019, albeit seasonally.

In the years since then, Church said the Commission continued to test the water quality to work to expand the allowable shellfishing area and the length of the season.

“This time there’s no asterisk or fine print. They’re finally open year-round,” said Church.

According to Church, more good news for Clinton’s shellfishing aficionados could be on the way. Currently, if the Town has a rainfall event of more than one inch the beds will be temporarily closed as part of the agreement with the state. Church said the Commission is close to an agreement, pending some more tests, that would allow the threshold for closure to be moved to a rainfall event of more than one and a half inches.

“That’ll be good to make it easier to shellfish and not have to close the beds as often,” explained Church.

For more information about licenses and fees, visit clintonshellfish.org.