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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: December 21, 2004
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM MODIFIES TWO DECEMBER SHELLFISH HARVESTING DATES BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS
Some Areas Will Be Open on Thursdays and Closed on Fridays This Month to Accommodate the Needs of Both the Shellfish Industry and the Public

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that certain shellfish management areas will be open for harvesting on Thursday, December 23 and Thursday, December 30 from 8 a.m. to noon and closed on Friday, December 24 and Friday, December 31 because of the upcoming holidays.

The management areas - Greenwich Bay Shellfish Management Area, Bristol Harbor Shellfish Transplant Area, Bissel Cove-Fox Island Transplant Area, and High Banks Shellfish Management Area - are normally open on Fridays. However, with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve both occurring on Fridays, shellfish dealers will be faced with market closures during all or portions of those days and during the ensuing weekends.

"The holiday period is traditionally a time of significant economic activity involving sales of shellfish, and constitutes a period of significant economic importance to Rhode Island's commercial shellfish industry," said Frederick Vincent, Acting Director of DEM. "The holiday season is one in which shellfish are traditional fare at many family gatherings.

"The modification to the dates, filed as an emergency regulation, was made upon the request of the shellfish industry and the advice of the RI Marine Fisheries Council because of the urgent need to facilitate the flow of product through the marketplace," Vincent added. "Failure to adopt the modification would have likely led to significant economic disruption at a particularly critical time of year for the industry."

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