DURHAM, N.H. — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is closing 20 acres of Great Bay to shellfish harvesting for five years to continue restoring oyster reefs, the department said Thursday.

The closure takes effect Nov. 1 and runs through Oct. 31, 2031. The department said the restoration work is being done with The Nature Conservancy and the University of New Hampshire.

The closed area covers two restoration sites: a 5-acre site near Woodman Point and a 15-acre site near Nannie Island, according to the department. Only those 20 acres will be off-limits to shellfish harvesting.

The rest of the Nannie Island oyster reef and the Woodman Point oyster reef are not included in the closure and will stay open to recreational oyster harvesters, the department said.

Fish and Game said the five-year closure is meant to improve the chances that the restoration succeeds and that the oyster population at the sites grows.

The department has posted a map of the closed area and more information on its website.

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