Environment DEC
From the September 2005 issue
DEC Announces Temporary Closure of Three Shellfishing Areas
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced the temporary closure of three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island during the upcoming Labor Day holiday. She also reminded boaters to utilize pump-out facilities to help protect these waters. The closures are put in place annually during the busy holiday to protect public health from potential contamination of shellfish due to increased boat-waste discharges into shellfishing waters.
"Due to the large increase in recreational boaters during the Labor Day holiday, DEC has taken precautionary measures and closed some of the most heavily traveled waters to protect public health," Commissioner Sheehan said. "We strongly encourage boaters to act responsibly and adhere to the no discharge zone in Port Jefferson Harbor. I urge boaters to use pump-out facilities to prevent impacts to our natural resources and protect the health of the public."
Closure Areas
Shellfish harvesting in the
areas is expected to
reopen September 9th
DEC has designated the following areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish beginning on Saturday, September 3, 2005, which means that shellfish harvesting is prohibited until DEC deems the areas safe and reopens them for harvest. All three areas are located on the north shore of Long Island. The closed sections include:
- 50 acres in the area known as the Sand Hole in the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County;
- 243 acres in a section of Port Jefferson Harbor in Brookhaven, Suffolk County, and
- 445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay, Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County.
Harvest to Resume
Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in the above areas on Friday, September 9, 2005. In cooperation with town bay constables and the State Police Aviation Unit, DEC plans to conduct observations of the three closed shellfishing areas and other overnight recreational anchoring areas to monitor the number of boats present. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit the areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas to harvesting earlier than September 9.
Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Labor Day holiday. Discharges from boat toilets may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.
Pump-out Facilities
Boaters should be aware that Port Jefferson Harbor is designated a no-discharge zone. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in this harbor and the other two restricted areas should use the following pump-out facilities:
- Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor)- One 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 (formerly Jakobson Shipyard), and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park;
- The Sand Hole - 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 Powles Marine Center in Cold Spring Harbor. In addition, boaters traveling from 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. Several land-based pump-out facilities are also located in Northport Harbor and Huntington Harbor, and
- Port Jefferson Harbor - The Town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Boaters may contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. In addition, there is a land-based pump-out station at the Town of Brookhaven's Port Jefferson marina (no fee).
24-hour Notifications
A taped message advising the public of temporarily closed shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling 631-444-0480. The taped message will also advise harvesters when such areas have reopened. Written descriptions and color-coded maps of these and other shellfish closures can be found at the Recent Changes to Shellfish Area Descriptions web page on the DEC website (see "Related Links" below).
