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Shellfish Sanitation and Management

Learn about how shellfish is managed in Massachusetts.

Shellfish have been a longstanding staple in many Massachusetts homes. Whether steamed or raw, clams or oysters, it's DMF's mission to ensure all shellfish are safe for you to eat. We accomplish this through public health protection and management of shellfish resources.

DMF regularly samples shellfish areas for possible contaminants. We also manage the shellfish resource through permitting of commercial fisheries, contaminated shellfish and aquaculture, developing regulations, and assisting local towns and cities.

Whether you are a shellfish harvester, processor, or just love to eat shellfish, we're here to help!

What would you like to do?

Top tasks

Where can I shellfish (classification areas)?  View PSP Notices  Emergency Shellfish Closure and Opening Notices 

All other tasks

View PSP closure map 

What you need to know

Shellfish area biologist staff directory  Resources on contaminated shellfish harvest  Shellfish propagation permits for aquaculture  PSP (red tide) monitoring  Review the Vibrio Control Plan  Watch Vibrio training videos 
See all 8 of Shellfish Sanitation and Management 

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Additional Resources

Shellfish Advisory Panel
Shellfish Planting Guidelines (PDF 417.33 KB)
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