<h1>Shellfish Sanitation and Management </h1>
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<h2 align="center"><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0be4f85b-9ec9-4c47-9c28-7ccea550f9f3" href="/dmr/node/746">Shellfish Closure Legal Notices</a></h2>
<a href="/dmr/node/746"><img alt="softshell clams" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0685c939-3126-4cd2-8f1d-eb2ca93cb1d1" height="73" src="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-images/clamssm_0.jpg" width="91" /></a>
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<h2 align="center"><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="690ba3be-1eaa-41b8-9f9c-f4cffc1db617" href="/dmr/node/752">Shellfish Closure<br />
Map</a></h2>
<a href="/dmr/node/752"><img alt="map of shellfish areas" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ade1a973-928d-4fa0-99ca-d69867f6a21e" height="79" src="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-images/aquashellmapsm.jpg" width="101" /></a>
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<h2 align="center"><a href="https://mainedmr.shinyapps.io/bph_phyto/">Phytoplankton Map, Data, and PSP Forecast (beta)</a></h2>
<a href=" https://mainedmr.shinyapps.io/bph_phyto/"><img alt="Phytoplankton Map and Data and PSP Forecast" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e76c2bd-9d72-4e28-b906-98fe45fadaad" height="41" src="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/inline-images/phytomapsm.jpg" width="50" /></a>
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<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p>The Bureau of Public Health oversees the application of the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/federalstatefoodprograms/ucm2006754.htm">National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP)</a> within the State of Maine. This program is implemented internationally by the <a href="http://www.issc.org/">Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC)</a> in order to keep molluscan shellfish safe for human consumption. This is accomplished by making sure that a common set of standards are used to classify shellfish growing areas and handle shellfish when they go to market.</p>
<h2>Programs</h2>
<ul>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="43b52803-142a-4131-b8c5-ac6374b08cd0" href="/dmr/node/767">Growing Area Program: Biotoxin</a> - Monitors levels of PSP (“Red Tide”) and other marine biotoxins in Maine shellfish</li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="07dcd014-bf90-450d-8bf9-fef68dc86fce" href="/dmr/node/770">Growing Area Program: Water Quality</a> - Monitors the water quality at Maine shellfish flats and conducts shoreline surveys to identify sources of pollution</li>
<li><a href="https://www.maine.gov/dmr/node/779" title="Volunteer Programs">Volunteer Programs - water quality and phytoplankton monitoring</a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fef1ba08-0d19-4ffb-b5f6-df5977053d1a" href="/dmr/node/768">Shellfish Dealer Certification and Inspection</a> - Evaluates and certifies Maine wholesale shellfish dealers</li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b4cb7280-14b9-4b80-8cc4-d814071def18" href="/dmr/node/774">Nearshore Marine Resources Program</a> - Assists towns in managing their flats and shellfish. Marine Resource Scientists help towns with their conservation areas, reseeding, surveying, town license allocations, shellfish ordinances, warden programs, and more.</li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="679bc6d2-1fd3-4f6e-8393-1851661c5746" href="/dmr/node/765">Environmental Permit Review</a> - Conducts/coordinates environmental impact reviews for permits and projects in the coastal zone, involving regulated activities such as wetland alteration, pollution discharge and dredging/dredge material disposal. The program is also responsible for reviewing projects seeking leases on publicly owned submerged and/or inter-tidal lands, which could have an effect on Maine's fisheries infrastructure, as well as reviewing and commenting on municipal comprehensive plans which may affect marine, estuarine and riverine resources.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Advisories, Presentations and Additional Information</h2>
<h3>Advisories & Reminders</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/1c3b7f33449b437383321522373e9b15" target="_blank">Current beach swimming advisories</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/eohp/fish/index.htm">Current fish consumption advisories</a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="569f8588-b72b-4f89-aa50-cb5c57908997" href="/dmr/node/780">Safe shellfish consumption reminder</a></li>
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<h3>Presentations & Information</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/docs/MaineShellfishHandbook-AccessibleVersion.pdf">Maine Shellfish Handbook, pdf file, 5.26 MB</a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d79e1fa6-1e85-4fc7-a863-bc3b1bb6a6e9" href="/dmr/node/337">Shellfish Identification</a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="077ab1c5-f6a6-4dfa-9a75-0afdd2f72822" href="/dmr/node/695">Information on Green Crabs in Maine</a></li>
<li><a href="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/docs/Municipal%20Shellfish%20Management.pdf">Municipal Shellfish Management Manual - pdf file, 366 KB Updated 3/2018</a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fbe9370c-9816-4429-9dd2-fd28d74a40a1" href="/dmr/node/753">Shellfish Program Newsletters</a></li>
<li><a href="/dmr/sites/maine.gov.dmr/files/docs/tag-label-ppt-9-14-04.pdf">Shellfish handling, tagging, and labeling slide show- pdf file, 2.2 Mb </a></li>
<li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3c8ec6b4-1ba4-4e4b-a811-f7f54405395d" href="/dmr/node/781">Vibrio Certification</a></li>
<li>For certification of clam rings, contact the <a href="http://www.maine.gov/dacf/qar/weights_and_measures/inspections.shtml">Dept of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry's Weights and Measures</a></li>
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