And unfortunately the answer is, We don t know. The problems with the fecal coliform indicator well, that s worth a half hour of intense discussion. The short story is, It s the best we ve got. Yes, it s faulty. It s very conservative.
People say, It s overprotective.
And I say, Well, public health should be overprotected as opposed to erring to the other side. Yes, that s right, there is nothing you can do about some of these sources. Folks have to realize that all of the many uses are not always compatible. If you want a rookery, you want to see birds, you want to see seals, then you have to forgo something. My answer is, harvest the shellfish, move them to a clean area, let them depurate, sell them if your state allows that.