Shellfishing Newsletter

Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project

On June 6, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a significant milestone in the planned stocking of millions of shellfish that are helping to restore our local marine environments, improve water quality, support the commercial and recreational fishing industry, and build stronger coastlines.

Under the Governor’s leadership, the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project (LISRP) proposes to establish five shellfish sanctuary sites that are to be stocked with juvenile and adult shellfish. Sanctuary sites are located in Bellport Bay, Huntington Harbor, Shinnecock Bay, South Oyster Bay, and Hempstead Bay.

DEC is working in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, Stony Brook University, municipalities, local businesses, and volunteer organizations to produce, plant, and monitor shellfish and water quality enhancement throughout the project.

For more information on project efforts, visit Restore New York Shellfish.

Shellfish Public Mapper

Before going shellfishing, view the NYSDEC Public Shellfish Mapper to understand where shellfish harvesting areas are currently open and closed!

This interactive map shows regulatory closures, temporary closures, conditional harvesting programs, shellfish harvest zones, aquaculture lease sites, and water sampling stations. When viewing this website on your mobile device while out in the field, make sure you have your location service turned on, and the site will show where you are in relation to harvest areas.

This map is for reference only, and you must review our official regulations page for the legal descriptions of the closures. You must also check with your local town to acquire a recreational permit. Review the Shellfish Harvest Limits on our website.

Keep Your Shellfish Cool

As water temperatures rise, naturally occurring marine bacteria can grow to dangerous levels in shellfish. Clams, oysters and other bivalve shellfish are filter feeders, which means they feed on plankton and other marine organisms that they strain from the water.

To prevent shellfish from accumulating bacteria that may increase the risk of foodborne illness in shellfish consumers, they must be kept cool!

• Keep shaded or out of direct sunlight while harvesting.
• It’s best to keep your shellfish in a mesh bag attached to a floatation device while collecting. This will keep your shellfish cool in the flowing open water and keep them out of standing water (such as being kept in a bucket of ice or water).
• Never keep shellfish in standing water – only keep over ice and make sure to remove melted ice regularly!
• Once harvested, keep shellfish in a cooler or refrigerator as quickly as possible.

Visit Shellfish Safety for more information about how to properly handle shellfish.

Reopening Temporary Shellfish Closures For Carnivorous Gastropods 

Every spring, DEC conducts an extensive Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Program across Long Island to identify where potential Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) may be occurring. As a result of HABs, biotoxins can accumulate in the tissues of animals in these waters, and specifically can exist in high concentrations in shellfish. Eating shellfish that are exposed to high concentrations of biotoxins pose a health threat to anyone that consumes them.

As a result of this monitoring program, DEC closed two areas for the harvest of carnivorous gastropods (whelk, conchs, and moonsnails) in Meetinghouse and Terry Creeks, Town of Riverhead, effective May 2, 2019, and Northport Harbor, Town of Huntington, effective May 16, 2019. Carnivorous gastropods feed on shellfish and may accumulate biotoxins at levels that are hazardous to human health. DEC puts temporary closures in place until it determines that marine biotoxins are no longer present at levels that may make shellfish and carnivorous gastropods hazardous for use as food.  

Effective at sunrise on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, the temporary shellfish closures in both harvest areas are rescinded and reopened to the harvest of carnivorous gastropods only (whelk, conchs, and moonsnails). These areas are uncertified and continue to remain Closed to the harvest of shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops).

For more information, visit Temporary Shellfish Closures. 

Important Dates

Ocean Acidification Task Force Meeting
June 18, 2019, 6:30 p.m. - 8:50 p.m. 
Stony Brook University
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences,
120 Endeavour Hall (Google Maps)

The New York Ocean Acidification Task Force will hold its third meeting to work toward assessing impacts of acidification on the ecological, economic, and recreational health of New York's coastal waters, identifying contributing factors, and recommending actions to reduce and address negative impacts.

Visit our website to learn more about Shellfishing in New York!