Pasco County Reopens Bay Scallop Season

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will reopen the recreational bay scallop harvest in the Pasco Zone on August 28, after a month-long closure due to unsafe levels of saxitoxin and Pyrodinium bahamense. The zone, which includes state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line to the Anclote Key Lighthouse, will remain open through September 24. The closure was a precautionary measure to ensure public safety, with toxin levels now returning to safe thresholds as established by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. FWC recommends consuming only the scallop muscle and not the roe or whole scallop. The agency will continue to monitor scallop and water samples to ensure ongoing safety. The reopening comes just ahead of Labor Day weekend, allowing more recreational opportunities for the community.