D.E.C. Closes 3,900 Acres in Southampton Town to Shellfishing

The State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Thursday that due to the detection of a marine biotoxin the harvesting of shellfish and carnivorous gastropods, such as whelks, conchs, and moon snails, was temporarily prohibited in approximately 3,900 acres in the Town of Southampton.

All of Shinnecock Bay west of the southbound lanes of the Ponquogue Bridge, and all bottomlands east of the western side of the Post Lane Bridge in Quogue, are affected by the closure. The prohibition will remain in effect until further notice.

As part of the D.E.C.'s ongoing monitoring activities, shellfish collected in Weesuck Creek in East Quogue tested positive for saxitoxin, a biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, which affects the nervous system and paralyzes muscles. High levels of PSP can be fatal. Carnivorous gastropods feed on shellfish. They can accumulate biotoxins at levels that are hazardous to human health.

The closure follows the D.E.C.'s same action in the Town of Riverhead on Wednesday. There, all underwater lands in Meetinghouse and Terry Creeks, covering approximately 100 acres, were closed to the harvesting of carnivorous gastropods until further notice after shellfish collected in Meetinghouse Creek tested positive for saxitoxin. The harvesting of shellfish is currently prohibited on a year-round basis there.

The D.E.C.'s emergency shellfish closure information line, 631-444-0480, offers a recorded message advising of the status of temporarily closed shellfish areas. The message will be updated during the closures.