Re-Examine Oyster Bay Hydraulic Shellfish Dredging, Groups Urge

OYSTER BAY, NY — U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi joined baymen and local environmental groups Monday to urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to re-examine their permitting process for hydraulic shellfish dredging of clams and oysters in Oyster Bay Harbor and Mill Neck Creek.

Speakers cited studies that they said showed how hydraulic dredging harms Mill Neck Creek and surrounding estuaries and bays in the Town of Oyster Bay. The groups included representatives from Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Earthjustice, Defend H20, and about a dozen baymen with the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association.

Suozzi called for protecting the area's natural resources by promoting what he called sustainable practices that "enhance the fragile ecological balance" of the waters.

"The Long Island Sound and its harbors are our National Park," Suozzi said. "These waters represent a way of life for countless numbers of both recreational and commercial shellfishermen. Hydraulic shellfish dredging has had a serious impact on the quality of the water and the biodiversity in and around Oyster Bay."

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, called mechanical dredging immensely harmful, noting it "crushes and buries finfish and shellfish," and degrades water quality.

"This significant damage diminishes our rich tradition of baymen and degrades the overall ecological productivity of the harbor," Esposito said. "Hydraulic and suction dredging are antiquated practices that need to be modernized and transitioned to more sustainable and protective practices."

Earlier this year, the federal engineers added Mill Neck Creek as an area acceptable for hydraulic shellfish dredging without any restrictions or public input, Suozzi said. Hydraulic shellfish dredging in all Oyster Bay waters currently happens without any required permits under the Clean Water Act, he added.