NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Just in time for Labor Day weekend, the Gulf of Mexico waters around Pasco County are now back open for recreational scallop harvesting.
The reopening comes after a monthlong closure.
What You Need To Know
- Gulf waters around Pasco County are now back open for recreational scallop harvesting
- The reopening comes after a monthlong closure
- It is recommended that you only consume the scallop muscle and not the roe or whole scallop. For more information, see FDA.gov/media/80235/download
- For more information and updates, visit MyFWC.com/Scallops
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission suspended the season in July due to unsafe levels of toxins in the water. But now, FWC officials said the toxins have receded to safer readings.
Scallop harvesting in the Pasco Zone will be open through Sept. 24.
The zone includes state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key lighthouse in northern Pinellas County.
FWC said it will continue to monitor toxin levels in water samples throughout the season out of abundance of caution.
Officials are recommending you only consume the scallop muscle and not the whole thing.
“We appreciate the community’s patience with the closure while we carefully monitor toxin levels in the Pasco Zone,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. “Public safety is our top priority, and we wanted to ensure that levels dropped below the safety threshold before we considered reopening the season.”