Shellfishing is prohibited in Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven until further notice after heavy rainfall caused flooding Tuesday.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries made the order this week after Tuesday’s downpour, putting all shellfish harvesting in Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and several towns on the Cape on an indefinite pause pending state water quality testing.
Lagoon Pond, Lake Tashmoo, Sengekontacket Pond and Vineyard Haven harbor are among the water bodies affected.
Oak Bluffs shellfish constable Donovan McElligatt explained that when a heavy rainfall causes flooding, contaminants like heavy metals, fertilizer and feces get into the ponds and make their way into shellfish’s systems. Under these circumstances, mollusks can be unsafe to consume until they’ve had a chance to filter the contaminants out of their bodies, necessitating a pause on the harvest.
“We don’t want to alarm anybody, but it is a public health concern,” he said.
Mr. McElligatt said in order for shellfishing to reopen in Oak Bluffs and Tisbury waters, the state needs to send in a biologist to test pond quality. Mr. McElligatt said testing could take place on Tuesday.
“We won’t know more until probably mid-to-later next week, but in the meantime, all the waters are closed, and we’ve done our best to spread the word,” he said.
Mr. McElligatt said this kind of rain-related shellfishing closure is rare, but not unheard of. The last time it happened on the Island was May 2025.
He added that such state orders are especially hard on commercial shellfishing enterprises.
“[There’s] an economic impact on our aquaculturalists, our commercial fishermen,” he said. “This is kind of the height of their season right now, and now they’re kind of frozen in place.”
He noted that shellfishing in the prohibited areas before the state opens them back up is a criminal misdemeanor that can carry fines and other penalties. He urged members of the public to reach out to the department with questions.
“We’ve already had some violations at this point [from] people that just were not aware,” he said.
This article appears in July 10, 2026.