The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a revision of the emergency regulations of October 18, 2005, which implemented a temporary paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) closure (i.e., the Northern and Southern Temporary PSP Closure Areas) due to the presence of high levels of the toxin that causes PSP.This action will expand the Northern Temporary PSP Closure Area south to include the Federal waters southeast of Massachusetts around Nantucket Island, and eastward to the George's Bank PSP Closure Area. The boundary of the Southern Temporary PSP Closure area is also revised and contracted. The revised and expanded Northern Temporary PSP Closure Area prohibits the harvest of all bivalve molluscan shellfish, with the exception of sea scallop adductor muscles harvested and shucked at sea. The prohibition on harvest of whole or roe-on scallops also remains in effect for both areas.

Chart of PSP Closure Areas Federal Register Notice July 2, 2008 - Permit Holder Letter Past Red Tide Closure Notices December 31, 2007 - Federal Register Notice December 28, 2007 - Permit Holder Letter June 27, 2007 - Federal Register Notice June 27-28, 2007 - Permit Holder Letters December 28, 2006 - Permit Holder Letter June 30, 2006 - Federal Register Notice June 28, 2006 - Permit Holder Letter June 23, 2006 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Request for Continuance of Current PSP Closure May 2006, Environmental Assessment December 23, 2005 - Permit Holder Letter September 29, 2005 - Permit Holder Letter October 18, 2005 - Federal Register Notice September 9, 2005 - Federal Register Notice September 8 2005 - Correction Permit Holder Letter September 7, 2005 - Permit Holder Letter

• Click Here for FAQs on Red Tide/Commercial Fishery Failure
• Click Here for Information About Pilot-PSP Dockside Monitoring Study

• Shellfish Fishery Failure Determination - On June 16, 2005, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez yesterday announced a formal determination that the Massachusetts shellfish fishery is in a commercial failure triggered by a massive red tide bloom in the New England region. The determination came in response to a June 10, 2005, letter from Governor Mitt Romney requesting disaster assistance for the hard hit Massachusetts shellfish industry (Click here for more information).  On June 14, 2005, the State of Maine submitted a similar request that is currently under consideration.
  • Secretary of Commerce Letter to Governor of Massachusetts
  • Governor of Massachusetts letter to Secretary of Commerce
  • Governor of Maine letter to Secretary of Commerce
    • Maine DMR Letter to NOAA Fisheries

• NOAA Fisheries Service Takes Emergency Action to Address Red Tide - On June 14, 2005, NOAA Fisheries Service issued an emergency action to close a portion of Federal waters off the coasts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts to the harvest of all species of shellfish (bivalves), with the exception of scallop meats, due to the spread of toxic algal blooms (red tide). This is the largest bloom on record in New England history warranting a public health emergency (Click here for more information).
• NOAA Fisheries Service Permit Holder Letter (06/16/05)
• Federal Register Emergency Action (06/16/05)

Relevant Websites:

• NOAA Establishes New England Red Tide Information Website
• NOAA New England Red Tide Information Center
• Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries: PSP Closure Notices
• NOAA Oceans Service
• NOAA Fisheries Service
• Red Tide Triggers New England Shellfish Fishery Failure Determination
• Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB)
• Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB)