Shellfish Depuration Relief Program

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries will provide a relief payment to shellfishers who have lost income due to the Newburyport Depuration Plant closure.

Updates: This relief program is closed. Completed applications have been reviewed and payments were issued on July 15, 2024. If you did not receive your payment, please reach out to [e-mail]

On November 24, 2023, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) suspended operations at its Newburyport Depuration Plant due to the destruction of its saltwater wells from severe coastal erosion. Subsequently, another storm in December inundated the plant itself. Following a series of stakeholder meetings, MA DMF has developed a multi-tiered approach to provide economic relief to the participants in the depuration fishery and is exploring ways to re-open the fishery. First, MA DMF has initiated a study to re-locate the wells and make the plant more resilient to coastal storms which will estimate the cost and feasibility of reopening the Depuration Plant. The results of the study are expected in August 2024. Second, MA DMF is developing a program to re-open the fishery via subsidizing the cost to utilize a nearby depuration facility in Eliot, Maine while the plant remains closed. Thirdly, MA DMF has secured funding to provide a temporary relief program to shellfishers who have lost income due to the closure.

Eligibility

To qualify for the relief program, fishers must have held a 2022 or 2023 master or subordinate digger permit, documented digging activity, had an average income from the depurated fishery during the qualifying period, and be in good standing with all state and federal regulatory agencies. The qualifying period includes the months of December through April (which corresponds to the months the plant was closed) from December 2020 to April 2023. 

Application

MA DMF mailed out applications on May 8, 2024, to all active commercial Master/Subordinate digger permit holders. The application had contact and qualification information unique to the permit holder. Applicants were asked to review and complete all necessary sections and mail the completed application back to Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, 30 Emerson Ave Gloucester, MA 01930; or email to [e-mail].

If an applicant did not agree with the qualification status or information on the application, they were allowed to appeal the qualification information on the application with proof to support the appeal. 

Payments

Payments were issued on July 15, 2024, to the following applicants:

Legal Name

KEVIN BOUDREAU

LAURA COLBY

NEIL D MALICK

DAVID AFFANNATO

STEVEN J AFFANNATO

ROBERT B ANDERSON JR

ERIK BASHAW

RONALD BYK

BENJAMIN R COLBY

ROBERT J COLBY JR

JOHN FRANCIS CONNOLLY

MICHAEL INACIO

CHRISTOPHER KRAFTON

THOMAS C MOSES

WAYNE A NOURSE

WALTER F PETERS

KENNETH F RYAN

PAUL D SERINO

JOHN W SHORT

WAYNE P WIITALA

Date published:	July 16, 2024