DEC: Scallop fisherman cited in illegal harvest off Shelter Island
These are immature or juvenile scallops, known as bug or seed scallops that are illegal for harvest. This batch is from March 2017, the DEC said in a March 30 news release. Credit: NYSDEC
The bay scallop season came to a close Friday, prompting the state Department of Environmental Conservation to step up patrols on the East End and investigate complaints of continued digging.
The DEC’s Marine Enforcement Unit was patrolling the Peconic Bay to address complaints of diggers keeping juvenile bay scallops, also called “bug” or “seed” scallops, the DEC said in a news release.
On March 17, Environmental Conservation Officers Ike Bobseine, Jordan Doroski and Ben Tabor inspected two commercial harvesters off Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island where an initial inspection found two shellfish diggers were in possession of a “high percentage” of seed scallops, the news release states.
Several thousand bay scallops were inspected and the officers determined about 15 percent of the total catch was undersized, the DEC said, the latest case uncovered of illegal harvesting of juvenile scallops.
Citations were given to the fishermen for harvesting juvenile bay scallops and they are due in court in May, the DEC said.
The seed scallops were returned to the water.
Inside look at NUMC's aging infrastructure President and CEO of Nassau University Medical Center Thomas Stokes explains the problems caused by the aging infrastructure within the hospital. Newsday Associate Editor Joye Brown reports.
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