A total of 6,800 acres in local waters are partially or completely closed to shellfish harvesting, according to the annual report compiled by the Gazette-Journal. This marks a slight increase over the closed acreage of one year ago, 6,754.
Of these, 2,699.8 acres are in Gloucester; 1,155.4 acres are in Mathews; 851.4 acres in waters shared by Gloucester and King and Queen; 472 in the North River shared by Gloucester and Mathews; and 1,632.9 acres in the upper Piankatank River and the creeks in that region.
Surveys of these areas are maintained by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Safety. The Gazette-Journal’s annual survey is of waters under restriction as of July 15.
Shellfish harvesting is closed April through October, and permitted in the cooler months, November-March, in portions of waterways marked “seasonally restricted” or “conditionally approved,” for a total of just under 1200 acres.
Relaying of oysters is permitted from Condemned or Restricted waters to...