New York State Temporarily Closes Shellfishing Areas to Protect Public Health
ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on Monday announced it is closing three popular shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island to protect public health over the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
The areas covered by the closure are:
- 445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay Harbor, town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County.
- 50 acres in the area known as the Sand Hole, town of Huntington, Suffolk County.
- 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor, town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County.
All three will be closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Friday, Sept. 2, and continuing through Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Since 1995, the New York DEC has designated areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays.
During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.
In addition, the DEC is reminding boaters to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters.
Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Thursday, Sept. 8.
If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas earlier to harvesting.
A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480.
