DEC: 3 areas shut to shellfish harvest for Labor Day weekend

Shellfish harvesting will be prohibited in three areas of the North Shore from Saturday through Wednesday, state officials said.

The closures are routine during busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish caused by toilet discharges from boats, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.

The areas are 445 acres in Oyster Bay Harbor, 50 acres in Sand Hole in Huntington and 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor in Brookhaven, the DEC said.

Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in those areas Thursday, but they could reopen sooner if there is less boating than expected, DEC said.

The DEC said boaters should know that all of Oyster Bay Harbor, the Sand Hole, and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones, and they should use local pump-out facilities.