Saltwater Fishing & Boating Newsletter

In This Issue:

• DEC Announces Nearly $350,000 in Grant Awards to Support Marine Water Quality, Conservation, and Flood Protection
• New Concrete and Rock Material Deployed to Twelve Mile Reef
• Changes to Commercial Fishing Limits
• Bay Park Conveyance Project Construction Updates
• Long Island Sound Sustainable & Resilient Communities Workshop
• Environmental Conservation Police on Patrol
• Upcoming Fishery Meetings

Grant Awards to Support Marine Water Quality, Conservation, and Flood Protection

DEC announced $347,484 in grants were awarded to coastal organizations and municipalities to help restore free-flowing waters to benefit water quality, conserve and restore valuable habitat for aquatic species, and increase flood resiliency. The projects awarded funding will support planning and engineering for a dam removal, construction of fish ladders, and right-sizing of culverts that impact American eel and river herring (alewife and blueback herring). 

River herring and American eel are diadromous, migrating between freshwater and saltwater during their lifecycles. These species play a vital role in the ecosystem and are an important food source for recreational and commercial fish, marine mammals, migratory birds, river otters, and other mammals. Migratory fish populations have been significantly impacted by coastal development and barriers to tidal waterways such as dams and culverts that restrict access to vital freshwater spawning and nursery habitats.

Project designs will also promote flood resiliency that accounts for the potential of a 100-year flood. Grant recipients include:

• Seatuck Environmental Association, Inc., Great Patchogue Lake Fish Passage Planning Project: $150,000
• Save the Sound, Blind Brook Dam Reconnaissance and Baseline Monitoring Project: $109,984
• Town of Brookhaven, Restore Aquatic Connection of Terrell River for Diadromous Fish: $87,500 

For more information about the awarded projects, visit DEC's website.

New Concrete and Rock Material Deployed to Twelve Mile Reef

DEC recently deployed 700 cubic yards of concrete modules and rock onto Twelve Mile Reef as part of the State’s Artificial Reef Program. These newly deployed materials are located at:

• 40°37.158'N, -072°32.013'W
• 40°37.138'N, -072°31.802'W

The concrete modules produced by ECOncrete are part of a pilot project that will be monitored by researchers over the next several years to understand how the units function and perform in the marine environment compared to rock.

In addition to the newly added concrete and rock, two 100-foot steel tugboats, “Dauntless” and “Relentless”, and sixteen 75-foot steel rail cars donated by Wells Fargo were previously deployed onto Twelve Mile Reef. All materials were deployed under the guidance of the DEC’s Artificial Reef Program to ensure they are safely cleaned of contaminants prior to joining the reef. 

For the most up to date reef material deployments, check DEC’s Artificial Reef Locations webpage. For more information visit the Artificial Reefs webpage or check out the Artificial Reef Interactive Map.

Changes to Commercial Fishing Limits

These changes only apply to New York State Commercial Food Fish License Holders. 

Menhaden

• Effective Thursday, November 3, 2022, the daily trip limit for menhaden is set at 20,000 lbs. This trip limit will remain in effect until further notice.

Bluefish

• Effective Thursday, November 3, 2022, the daily trip limit for bluefish is set at 4,000 lbs. This trip limit will remain in effect until further notice. 

This action is taken pursuant to the quota distribution schedule of subdivisions 40.1(u)(1)(2) and 40.1(x) of 6 NYCRR. Check the current Commercial Harvest Limits on DEC's website for the most up to date information. 

Bay Park Conveyance Project Construction Updates

The Bay Park Conveyance Project is a partnership between DEC and Nassau County Department of Public Works (NCDPW). Together, DEC and NCDPW are improving water quality and storm resiliency in Long Island’s Western Bays by upgrading its existing wastewater management infrastructure. 

The Bay Park Conveyance Project will reduce nitrogen pollution in the Western Bays by redirecting treated water from the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility to the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). From Cedar Creek, the treated water will be discharged in the Atlantic Ocean via an ocean outfall pipe to a one-mile-long diffuser array with 120 diffuser ports. These diffusers mix treated water with ocean water, where it quickly disperses.

Check out the November 2022 Look Ahead (PDF) for up-to-date construction activity information. For complete details on the project, visit Bay Park Conveyance Project website.

Long Island Sound Sustainable & Resilient Communities Workshop

Long Island Sound Study, New York Sea Grant, and Connecticut Sea Grant are hosting the 1st Annual Long Island Sound Sustainable & Resilient Communities Workshop! This free virtual workshop will take place on Thursday, December 1 from 12:30-4 PM and will bring together stakeholders from New York and Connecticut to learn about opportunities to increase the resilience of coastal Long Island Sound communities to various environmental challenges. 

For more information, visit Long Island Sound Study's website or register for the virtual workshop.

Environmental Conservation Police on Patrol

Out-of-Season Tautog - Suffolk County
On Oct. 6, while patrolling near Robert Moses State Park, ECOs Perkins and Dickson checked a small fishing access site under the Captree Island Bridge and observed three individuals fishing along the rocky jetties using green crabs, a common bait for tautog/blackfish. During the ECOs’ inspection, which included a check of fishing licenses, the Officers found three blackfish in a bucket next to the anglers and another nine fish tucked away in bags hidden between the rocks. Blackfish season does not start until Oct. 15 on the South Shore, and Oct.11 on the Long Island Sound. The ECOs released four living fish; the rest perished in the bags. The Officers issued six tickets to the group for possessing out-of-season tautog and failure to release without undue harm.

A few days later near Robert Moses State Park, ECO Dickson observed a different group of anglers catching blackfish out of season. In Great South Bay, the ECO observed three individuals fishing off a small inflatable boat. As the Officer approached the trio with members of the U.S. Coast Guard Fire Island, the anglers dumped the contents of a small cooler onto the deck of the boat and covered the contents with the lid of the cooler. ECO Dickson found the blackfish under the lid and issued tickets to the group for catching the fish out of season and fishing without a valid marine fishing license.

During his days-long marine fishing inspections in the area, Officer Dickson issued additional citations for similar charges related to out-of-season fishing. In addition to issuing tickets, the ECO educated anglers about the importance of following New York’s fishing regulations.

Upcoming Fishery Meetings

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Annual Meeting

Date: Monday, November 7 through Thursday, November 10
Location: The Ocean Place Resort, 1 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch, New Jersey

This will be a hybrid meeting to allow for remote participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders in all meetings except for those of the Law Enforcement Committee, Habitat Committee, and Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee.

Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, November 7 at 9 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 2:30 PM) on Thursday, November 10.

For complete meeting information, visit ASMFC's website.

Marine Resources Advisory Council Meeting

• Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2:00 PM
  Location: DEC Division of Marine Resources, 123 Kings Park Blvd, Kings Park, 11754

Details to listen to the meeting are available on DEC's website. Once available, a complete agenda for the meeting can be found on Marine Resources Advisory Council's website. 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) December Meeting

• Date: Monday, December 12 - Thursday, December 15
  Location: The Westin Annapolis, 100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD, 21401

Check MAFMC's website for meeting details to be released.