Shellfishing Newsletter

Temporary Harvest Closure for Shellfish & Carnivorous Gastropods

DEC announced temporary shellfish and carnivorous gastropods harvest closures in Suffolk County. This action is taken to protect public health after DEC determined mussels collected as part of the Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Program from monitoring sites in Meetinghouse Creek, Jockey Creek, and Shinnecock Bay tested positive for saxitoxin, a marine biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), and exceeded levels that require closures. 

The following areas are closed to the harvest of shellfish and carnivorous gastropods until further notice:

• Towns of Riverhead and Southampton: All that area of Flanders Bay and Reeves Bay, including their tributaries, lying westerly of a line extending northeasterly from the northernmost point of land at Goose Creek Point to the southernmost point of land at Simmons Point.

• Town of Southold: All that area of Town and Jockey Creeks (both tributaries of Southold Bay) in their entirety.

• Town of Southampton: All that area of western Shinnecock Bay lying east of the Post Lane Bridge (Quogue) and lying west of a line extending southerly from the southernmost point of land at Pine Neck Point (East Quogue) to the northern terminus of Triton Lane, located on the barrier beach south of Pine Neck Point.

DEC will re-open areas as soon as possible based on the results of laboratory analyses that will be conducted over the next few weeks. A recorded message advising harvesters of the status of temporarily closed shellfishing areas may be heard by calling (631) 444-0480. The message will be updated during the course of the temporary closures.

Maps of the affected areas and information about these temporary closures are available on DEC's website. Information about marine biotoxins and paralytic shellfish poisoning is also available on DEC's website.

Keep Shellfish Cooled and Shaded Starting May 1

Clams, oysters, and other bivalve shellfish are filter feeders, which means they feed on plankton and microorganisms they strain from the water. As temperatures rise, naturally occurring bacteria found in New York’s marine waters can potentially grow to unsafe levels in shellfish. A common bacteria that is found in our coastal waters is Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp), which generally thrives during warm water conditions and can rapidly increase in shellfish during warm air temperatures.

DEC's Vibrio Control Plan promotes proper postharvest handling of shellfish, during the warm weather months between May 1 through October 31 to ensure shellfish are kept cool after harvesting to protect the public health of shellfish consumers.   

To ensure the safety of shellfish for consumers, follow the guidance below:  

• Keep shaded or out of direct sunlight while harvesting. 
• Never keep shellfish in standing water – only keep them over ice and make sure to remove melted ice regularly or in a container that is self-draining.
• Once harvested, keep shellfish in a cooler or refrigerator as quickly as possible. 

Before going shellfishing, use the DEC Public Shellfish Mapper to know where shellfish harvesting areas are open. This interactive map shows regulatory closures, temporary closures, conditional harvesting programs, shellfish harvest zones, aquaculture lease sites, and water sampling stations.