| DELAWARE BAY REOPENS FOR
SHELLFISH HARVEST (02/66) Trenton---The New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New Jersey Department of Health and
Senior Services (DHSS) today announced the reopening of shellfish harvesting in
the Delaware Bay. The suspension of harvesting oysters,
mussels and clams was imposed as a result of confirmation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus
-Vp- an illness traced back to bacteria found in Delaware Bay oysters. Three
consecutive sets of samples from these beds over the past week have not detected
the Vp pathogenic strain. These results comply with the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) guidelines that
allow the oyster beds to reopen. The Departments of Health
and Senior Services and Environmental Protection will continue to monitor the
conditions of harvest during the summer months. The marine police will assist
in enforcing harvest and post-harvest conditions. See attached
public notice. [Not available for the Web version of the release.] | 
