Politics & Government
DEC: Shellfishing Temporarily Closed After July 4
Over Fourth of July weekend, DEC closes Port Jefferson Harbor to shellfishing.
Better hurry up and get your shellfishing in before Independence Day on the north shore.
Shellfishing will be temporarily closed across 243-acres of Port Jefferson Harbor starting on the Fourth of July, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation said. The closure is expected to last until July 11.
“As a precautionary measure, DEC annually closes shellfishing in these waters during Fourth of July weekend because of the heavy increase in recreational boating,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens.
The increased boating activity can increase the potential risk of contaminated shellfish. Discharge from boaters' toilets can contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.
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Boaters are asked to be aware of the no-discharge zones in Port Jefferson Harbor and use pump-out facilities.
Since 1995, the DEC has designed Port Jefferson Harbor - as well as Oyster Bay Harbor in Nassau County and Sandy Hole in Huntington - as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day periods.
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