Suozzi Works to Re-Open Hempstead Harbor to Shellfishing for 1st Time in 70 Years
Part of ‘Healthy Nassau,’ This Holistic Approach to Reviving Shellfish Population Will Allow for Clamming and Oyster Harvesting for First Time in 70 Years
Hempstead Harbor, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today cast 2 million baby clams and oysters into Hempstead Harbor, as part of a major initiative to re-stock the once-polluted waterway and re-open it to shellfishing for the first time in 70 years.
The joint initiative by the county, town and state governments and various environmental groups to re-open the waterway to shellfishing builds on recent efforts to clean up the Harbor by reducing sewage and industrial discharges, upgrading the City of Glen Cove wastewater treatment plant, reducing storm water pollution and the remediation of landfills and Superfund sites. This initiative is part of Suozzi’s “Healthy Nassau,” campaign to make Nassau County the healthiest county in the nation by 2020.
“Much of Hempstead Harbor has been closed to shellfishing since the 1930s because of bacterial contamination, and the polluted water killed off the once-abundant clams and oysters,” Suozzi said. “Today’s shellfish seeding symbolizes an outstanding environmental achievement. We’ve proved we can clean up once-degraded waters to the point where they are again productive and healthy to diverse species. My hope is that today’s success serves as a model for other waterways.”
Nassau County is working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to re-open the outer Harbor area to shellfishing by August 2008, and the goal is to open the entire Harbor by thesummer of 2010. The re-established shellfish areas will be managed to prevent overfishing.
To further support shellfishery in Hempstead Harbor, Nassau County is working with the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, the Villages of Roslyn and Sea Cliff, the City of Glen Cove, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and New York State to maintain good water quality and help mitigate eutrophication – which occurs when there is so much algae in the water that it uses up all the oxygen, and kills off fish and shellfish. Today’s shellfish seeding itself will actually help keep the water clean; shellfish such as oysters and clams act as effective water filters.
The baby clams and oysters cast into the Harbor are supplied by the Cornell Cooperative Extension andFrank M. Flower & Sons, an environmentally conscious seafood company based in Oyster Bay.
The Christeen Oyster Sloop, used for today’s shellfish seeding, was built in Glenwood Landing on Hempstead Harbor in 1885 – and is the oldest working oyster sloop in the nation.
Healthy Nassau, Suozzi’s campaign to make Nassau the healthiest county in the nation, builds upon existing initiatives and adds new ones in order to sustain a healthy environment (focusing on air, land and water), while encouraging healthy living (tending to bodies, minds and spirits). Along with today’s shellfish seeding, Healthy Nassau initiatives include: seeking a ban on trans fats and putting calorie counts on menus; working with other large municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and explore mass transit options; continuing to preserve the County’s remaining open space; operating an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration; providing space for a Farmer’s Market offering fresh, local produce; the “Biggest Loser” Weight-Off Competition for County workers, and seeking a state-authorized increased cigarette tax to discourage smoking.
