Shell fishing along Intracoastal stuck in the mud

The heavy rains earlier this week have put a damper on the shell fishing industry.

The State Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued a temporary ban on shell fishing in the Intracoastal Waterway between the Surf City and Figure Eight Island bridges.

A spokesman for the department said the heavy rainfall over the weekend caused runoff and other pollution to taint the waterway, making clams, oysters and mussels dangerous to eat.

He said the ban will probably be lifted in the next few days.