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<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">UPDATE ON EMERGENCY SHELLFISH CLOSURE IN RI WATERS</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Additional areas closed effective sunrise on Saturday, October 8</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">PROVIDENCE -
<span style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow">In an update to the precautionary shellfish harvesting closure announced yesterday for Narragansett Bay, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today announced shellfishing is also
prohibited in all waters of Mt. Hope Bay, Kickemuit River and the Sakonnet River north of a line from Sachuest Point in Newport to Sakonnet Point in Little Compton, effective sunrise on Saturday, October 8. All tributaries to those waters are restricted as
well.</span> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">The closures are due to a confirmed harmful algae bloom (HAB) caused by the presence of toxic phytoplankton,
<i>Pseudo-nitzschia spp</i>. The harvest restriction does not apply to carnivorous snails such as whelk and moon snails.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Given the high concentrations of phytoplankton in several areas of Narragansett Bay and the confirmed presence of toxins in the phytoplankton, and out of an abundance of caution, all
portions of the Bay where these elevated levels were found are being closed to shellfish harvesting. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM, in partnership with RIDOH, has and will continue to collect local shellfish for analysis to determine if the toxins are present in shellfish meats at levels of concern. The toxin,
known as domoic acid, produced by these phytoplankton is responsible for causing amnesiac shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans. Symptoms of ASP include short- and long-term memory loss along with other serious health effects.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">For updates on shellfish closure areas, contact the DEM 24-hour shellfishing hotline at 401-222-2900. For more information on
</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/index.htm"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">DEM</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> divisions and programs, visit</span><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/index.htm"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.dem.ri.gov</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">.
Follow us on Facebook at</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM</span></a><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM)
for timely updates.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">-30-</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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