Thursday, April 10, 2025
TARR IN THE NEWS 4.9.25
'State and local officials working to reopen Ipswich clam flats'
The Local News Article by Amy Palmer
"It has been estimated that commercial clammers who dig those winter flats could be losing as much as $60,000 per year as a result of the closures.
In response, town officials, state legislators, and members of the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries have been working on solutions for the shellfish community. Together, they have been trying to find new ways to measure water quality and the impact of treatment plant output in the hopes of reopening closed beds, according to Sen. Bruce Tarr.
“To create a different model is going to be a very much out-of-the-box exercise, but it’s one that we are all committed to,” Tarr told Ipswich officials on Saturday.
The group includes Tarr, Rep. Kristin Kassner, town manager Stephen Crane, select board chair Linda Alexson, and Congressman Seth Moulton.
The team is hoping to present its plans to the National Shellfish Sanitation Program at its conference this August, Tarr said. The conference only takes place once every two years, he added.
“A compelling case has been made, and we’re trying to take that and change the direction of this situation,” Tarr said."
