The state of Maine's failure to conduct "shoreline sanitary surveys" has prompted a widespread closure of shellfish harvesting in the Wiscasset area.

The state Department of Marine Resources (DMR) in Boothbay Harbor announced the closures on Tuesday, March 18. The reason for the closures is DMR's failure to fulfill a requirement of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program to do a sanitation survey every 12 years.

The DMR had tried to get the town of Wiscasset to help do the survey last fall. The DMR sent a letter to the town of Wiscasset on September 18, 2007, which said the survey had to be completed "this year."

"If the shoreline survey is not completed this year, the shores, flats and waters of Wiscasset that have not been surveyed will need to be classified `prohibited' (regardless of water quality) because the DMR will not have evidence if there is or is not pollution present to contaminate the shellfish areas," the letter said.

The letter was written by Amy Fitzpatrick, director of DMR's Public Health Division.

The letter said that one of DMR's scientists, Jan Barter, who is responsible for an area known as WN, could not complete the work by the end of the year because she had broken her ankle.

"We would like to request that your shellfish warden, Mr. Jon Hentz, be allowed to assist another member of our staff in order to complete the work," Fitzpatrick wrote. She also said the DMR had no money to cover this, and asked that the town cover the cost.

She described the area to be surveyed as "the Chewonki property, clockwise around the shoreland zone to the Wiscasset/Alna town line."

A notice sent out by the DMR on Tuesday regarding the closure, said, "Effective immediately, it is unlawful to dig, take or possess any clams, quahogs, oysters or mussels taken from the shores, flats, and waters" in Pottle Cove, the areas from Chewonki Neck to Foxbird Island and Oak Island, all of Parsons Creek, Cross River, Back River (Edgecomb and Boothbay) most of the Sheepscot River from Cross Point (Edgecomb) to Indiantown Island (Boothbay Harbor), Ebenecook Harbor (Southport) and around Salter Island (Georgetown).