Shellfishing Newsletter

Temporary Shellfish Closures for Labor Day Holiday

During the upcoming Labor Day holiday period, DEC will temporarily close three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island. These closures are put in place during the busy summer holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish associated with increased boating and recreational activities in shellfish harvest area waters. Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters.

Accordingly, the following areas are closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Saturday, August 31, 2019, and continuing through Wednesday, September 4, 2019:

• 445 acres in a section of West Harbor within Oyster Bay Harbor (Town of Oyster Bay): All that area of West Harbor, in Oyster Bay Harbor, including tributaries, lying easterly of a line extending northerly from the northwestern-most point of land approximately 600 yards north of Brickyard Point (on Centre Island) to the westernmost point of the beach pavilion at Centre Island Beach (located on the south side of Bayville Avenue/Centre Island Road) and lying westerly of Centre Island.
• 50 acres in the area known as The Sand Hole (Town of Huntington): All that area of the Sand Hole (local name), including tributaries, located northerly of a line extending due east from the southernmost point of land which forms the western shore of the inlet to the Sand Hole to the opposite shoreline, on the eastern side of said inlet.
• 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor (Town of Brookhaven): All the normally certified area of the Port Jefferson Harbor Complex, including the Narrows and Pirate’s Cove (Mount Misery Cove).

Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Thursday, September 5, 2019. Although if poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen harvesting areas earlier.

For a complete list of shellfish lands, visit Shellfish Closures.

Protect Our Waters & Properly Pump Out Your Boats

Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect the waters, and be aware that Oyster Bay Harbor, the Sand Hole, and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones (NDZs) in their entirety. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities:

• Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor): A pump-out boat is operated by the Town of Oyster Bay at no fee to boaters. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9. In addition, the town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park.
• The Sand Hole (Lloyd Neck): Although there are no facilities within the Sand Hole, boaters should contact the Town of Oyster Bay pump-out boat as noted above. There also is a land-based pump-out facility at Powle’s Marine Center in Cold Spring Harbor. In addition, boaters traveling from the Town of Huntington waters can request the services of the Town of Huntington pump-out boat (no fee) by calling on marine radio VHF channel 9. There are also a number of land-based pump-out facilities at marinas in Northport Harbor and Huntington Harbor.
• Port Jefferson Harbor: The Town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays only. Boaters may contact the Town’s pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73.

For a full list of No Discharge Zones in New York State, visit the EPA’s No-Discharge Zones (NDZs) by State web page.

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. Please be aware you must also check with your local town to acquire a recreational permit. Review the Shellfish Harvest Limits on our website.