Parts of Boston Harbor meet shellfish consumption standards for first time in 100 years, state says

Food

The state’s Division of Marine Fisheries is in the process of reclassifying parts of the outer Boston Harbor so that shellfish will be allowed for direct human consumption.

For the first time in a century and after a multi-billion-dollar, decades-long clean-up, parts of the once toxic Boston Harbor waters meet water quality standards that will allow for direct harvest and human consumption of shellfish.

The announcement came from the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries at the start of the year. DMF said that water quality has improved significantly enough that both commercial and recreational shellfishers will be allowed to harvest shellfish for personal use or direct sale to consumers. The areas impacted include parts of Winthrop, Hull, and Hingham, the release said. 

“Not only will this be a tremendous boon to residents of the three towns, but also to other Massachusetts residents interested in recreational shellfishing,” the release said. 

These areas have been closed off to wider shellfishing since 1925, the year contaminated oysters caused a national typhoid epidemic and led to the closure of most of the Boston Harbor to shellfishing. 

Since then, only “specially trained and certified” commercial shellfishers could harvest shellfish in these areas and had to send the shellfish to a depuration plant, according to the release.

Though DMF declared these parts of the harbor safe, it doesn’t mean people can harvest shellfish just yet. 

Officials in Winthrop, Hull, and Hingham — which have “no history of managing shellfisheries,” DMF said — must now devise rules and regulations before wider shellfish harvesting is allowed. DMF is already in communication with town officials to help with these processes.

“We can expect these areas to begin opening in 2026 as these requirements are put in place,” the release said.

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.