The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has temporarily halted the recreational bay scallop harvest in the Pasco zone, covering all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, including the Anclote River.

The closure, which was ordered Wednesday, is due to the presence of Pyrodinium bahamense at levels exceeding safe thresholds. Pyrodinium bahamense is a species of bioluminescent, which glows when touched. It secretes a potent neurotoxin called saxitoxin, which was also detected in the Pasco zone at unsafe levels as determined by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.

The zone may reopen for scallop harvesting if tests show levels have dropped to safe limits. There is no guarantee th

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