VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CLOSE A PORTION OF THE LYNNHAVEN RIVER TO THE HARVESTING OF SHELLFISH

April 1, 2013

(RICHMOND, Va.)— The Virginia Department of Health announced today that 607 acres of the Lynnhaven River will be closed for shellfish harvesting effective April 12, 2013. The river will be closed to shellfish harvesting because fecal coliform concentrations in the affected area no longer meet the criteria of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

Maps of the affected areas will be posted on the Division of Shellfish Sanitation’s home page at www.vdh.virginia.gov/Shellfish/ when the condemnation comes into effect. The affected shellfish are bivalve mollusks including oysters and clams, but not crabs or fin fish.

For more information on shellfish closures, see the frequently asked questions on shellfish condemnations at www.vdh.virginia.gov/EnvironmentalHealth/Shellfish/faq/.