Everything is Frozen
Long Island's cold snap is over, but the prolonged below-freezing temperatures caused many waterbodies to freeze over.
The conditional harvesting program in Centerport Harbor ended up under several inches of ice. Town of Huntington Bay Constable Fred Uvena took this photo of baymen cutting through the ice to use the Centerport conditional program.
 When walking on the ice, remember that the minimum safe thickness is at least 4 inches. Areas that experience heavy currents could impact ice thickness, and it’s important to remain observant of characteristics of thin ice such as holes, cracks and flowing water.
Frozen water has never stopped New York baymen from retrieving their catch from beneath the ice. As seen in this photo of shellfish harvesters working through the ice on the Great South Bay in 1975, photo courtesy of Newsday.
Oyster Bay Harbor Conditional Area: CLOSED
 As of Friday, January 12, 2018, Oyster Bay Harbor conditional harvest area is officially closed to harvesting shellfish until further notice.
The closure was implemented after the flag-stake markers that delineate the 500-yard radius closed safety zone around the discharge from the Village of Oyster Bay wastewater treatment plant had been destroyed by, or submerged under, the heavy ice on the harbor.
The program will remain closed until the ice cover has moved out and the flag-stakes can be re-installed under the supervision of the Town of Oyster Bay constables.
To check the status of this area, please call the Town of Oyster Bay at (516) 677-5350.
For more information, visit Shellfishing or contact 631-444-0492.
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