Due to the extremely heavy rainfall and extraordinary amounts of stormwater runoff and localized street flooding associated with the rainfall event of August 22, 2021 which may result in conditions causing shellfish to be hazardous for use as food, The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Shellfisheries Section is temporarily closing the north and south shore areas noted below to the harvest of shellfish to protect public health.
Effective immediately, the following areas are closed to the harvest of shellfish:
1. Towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay (south shore): All that area of Hempstead Bay, East Bay and South Oyster Bay, including tributaries.
2. Towns of Babylon and Islip: All that area of South Oyster Bay, Great South Bay and their tributaries lying westerly of the northbound span of the Robert Moses Causeway Bridges.
3. Town of Islip: All that area of Northport Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Centerport Harbor, Duck Island Harbor and Huntington Bay lying southerly of a line extending easterly from the southernmost point of East Beach (at the north side of the mouth of Lloyd Harbor) to the southernmost point of West Beach (the southern tip of Sand City beach).
4. Towns of Brookhaven and Southampton: All that area of Moriches Bay and its tributaries lying east of Smith Point Bridge and lying west of the Jessup Lane Bridge in Westhampton Beach.
5. Town of North Hempstead: All that area of Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound lying southerly of a line extending northeasterly from Prospect Point to Matinecock Point.
6. Towns of Oyster Bay (north shore) and Huntington: All that area of Oyster Bay Harbor and Cold Spring Harbor lying southerly of a line extending easterly from the stone house on Plum Point (Centre Island) to the northerly side of the beach pavilion at West Neck Beach (Town of Huntington) on the eastern shore of Cold Spring Harbor.
7. Town of Huntington: All that area of Northport Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Centerport Harbor, Duck Island Harbor and Huntington Bay lying southerly of a line extending easterly from the southernmost point of East Beach (at the north side of the mouth of Lloyd Harbor) to the southernmost point of West Beach (the southern tip of Sand City beach).
Information about temporary closures and reopenings will be available on a recorded message available at: 631-444-0480 and the DEC website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7765.html
You may also call the DEC-Bureau of Shellfisheries at 631-444-0492 during regular office hours M-F 8:30 to 4:45.