DEC eyes Hempstead Harbor shellfishing

The state said Thursday it was seeking public comment on its decision to reopen about 2,500 underwater acres in outer Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound to shellfishing.

The area, which has seen a marked increase in water quality in recent years, covers a broad swath of the outer harbor between Matinecock Point in Glen Cove and Prospect Point in Sands Point. The inner harbor, East Creek, West Pond and Dosoris Pond will remain closed to shellfishing..

The comment period has closed for regulations that will reopen about 700 acres in the towns of Southold, Southampton, Riverhead, Brookhaven and Oyster Bay. Those areas will be open for shellfishing March 16 when the regulations are posted in the State Register, the agency said.