BALTIMORE (AP) - The Maryland Department of the Environment says it's temporarily allowing watermen to harvest oysters and clams in the Kent Island Narrows, a waterway that is usually closed to shellfish harvesting.
The change is effective Monday and will continue through the end of the oyster season on March 31.
The Narrows is a channel between Kent Island and the Delmarva Peninsula. During most years, a high volume of boat traffic and marina activity creates the potential to degrade shellfish water quality, so harvesting is prohibited.
The agency says boat traffic was reduced this season because icy conditions in the Chesapeake Bay made it hard for watermen to travel far from the docks. As a result, regulators say the water quality in the Narrows meets the strict requirements for shellfish harvesting.
