Community Corner
Sag Harbor Cove Shellfishing Re-Opens
DEC OKs harvest of shellfish and carnivorous gastropods.
After nearly a month, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has re-opened Sag Harbor Cove to shellfishing, determining that the shellfish are now safe for human consumption.
Approximately 490 acres of underwater land was after the DEC’s Bureau of Marine Resources reported that shellfish collected from a monitoring site in Sag Harbor Cove tested positive for saxitoxin, a marine biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning. The closure impacted Sag Harbor Cove, Upper Sag Harbor Cove and their tributaries. The closure was lifted as of sunrise on Friday.
The DEC additionally lifted its temporary ban on taking carnivorous gastropods from Shinnecock Bay. Approximately 3,900 acres were closed on April 10.
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According to the DEC, the decision to re-open both areas was based on the results of shellfish sample tests and consistent with the requirements of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program.
More information on emergency shellfish closures and maps are available at the DEC website.
