The Suffolk County Legislature will hold a public hearing on revisions to the county's Shellfish Aquaculture Lease Program on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The hearing follows the Dec. 1 introduction of a proposed resolution amending the county code pertaining to the program, under which parcels in Peconic and Gardiner's Bays have been leased for private commercial shellfish farming since 2010.
The introductory resolution and public hearing signal the conclusion of the program's initial 10-year review, which was conducted over two years by the Department of Economic Development and Planning with input from the program's 10-Year Review Advisory Group, government officials, experts, bay user groups, and the public. The review is to determine if and how the program should be changed and implemented for the next decade. The review also includes an overall evaluation of it to date.
A copy of the introductory resolution can be found on the Legislature's website at bit.ly/2L7GgM2. PDF files for the introductory resolution, proposed administrative guidance, and proposed lease site maps are on the program's website at bit.ly/36SWYqX. Instructions on how to participate in the public hearing can be found at bit.ly/3lMPf20.
As filter-feeding shellfish, oysters help remove excess nitrogen from the water, and proponents of shellfish cultivation argue that the practice is important in mitigating conditions that promote harmful algal blooms. The leasing of bottomlands has proven controversial in East Hampton, however. The program has angered some bayfront property owners and prompted a lawsuit by the Devon Yacht Club in Amagansett, which claimed that floating oyster cages interfered with boating activities. That lawsuit was settled.
John Aldred of the town trustees and John Dunne, the director of the town's shellfish hatchery, are the town's representatives for the program.
During the review, the trustees listened as several residents and representatives of marinas and other private clubs complained that the lease sites were set based on comments from commercial fishermen but not from other user groups. Some asked that the trustees urge the county to curtail leasing in Gardiner's Bay.
Critics also say that SCALP took for granted that the oyster cages would be on the bay bottom, not floating at the surface, where they conflict with other waterborne pursuits.
Leaseholders, however, say that growth is superior when oysters are higher in the water column. Supporters of the program, including a commercial oyster farmer who holds a lease, argue that they are earning a living while providing food and improving water quality.
