The agenda was short and the meeting brief when the East Hampton Town Trustees convened on Monday, and horseshoe crabs and clams were the primary topics of discussion.
Horseshoe crab monitoring in New York State this year starts on May 10. The New York Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network, a combined effort of the State Department of Environmental Conservation, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Program, and Stony Brook University encourages public participation in its annual horseshoe crab monitoring program at 30 sites throughout the state’s marine district.
A count of horseshoe crabs will happen around nighttime high tides during the full and new moons in May and June, with citizen scientists assisting in the collection of data that is used to assess the ancient species’ status, helping determine future management and conservation. Beset by habitat loss and harvested for bait in commercial fisheries and for their blood, which is used in biomedical testing, horseshoe crabs are facing endangerment.
The trustees adopted the Napeague Harbor and Northwest Harbor monitoring sites. Members of the public wishing to participate at Napeague Harbor have been asked to contact Jim Grimes at [email protected]. For Northwest Harbor, the contact is Tim Garneau, at [email protected], or Courtney Garneau at [email protected]. More information on the monitoring program can be found at nyhorseshoecrab.org.
The D.E.C. has implemented a five-day harvest closure around peak spawning moons in May and June, corresponding with the monitoring activities, to allow crabs to spawn uninterrupted and leave more eggs on the beach, increasing their own population and providing forage for shorebirds.
The harvest closures are May 10 through 14 and 24 through 28. All commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs is prohibited during those periods, and the D.E.C. has asked the public to report violations to its Law Enforcement Dispatch Center by calling 844-332-3267.
Also at the meeting, the trustees agreed on Oct. 5 as the date for their 34th annual Largest Clam Contest, which will be held between noon and 3 p.m. at the Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station Museum, as it was last year. A date of Sept. 28 was considered but abandoned in favor of the following Sunday due to favorable tides. Dates earlier in September were also vetoed as the month “is really busy with other events,” said David Cataletto.
Along with the crowning of the largest clam harvested from local waters, the event offers free food including clam pies, clams on the half shell, and clam chowder. A clam chowder competition is also held. The town’s shellfish hatchery typically displays local marine life, and the East End Classic Boat Society shows and sells tickets for its annual raffle boat.
