The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an emergency designation on Friday, closing several shellfish harvesting areas in the towns of Riverhead and Southold, due to the potential presence of marine biotoxins that could make shellfish unsafe to eat.
The emergency closure took effect immediately May 15, according to a notice issued by Debra A. Barnes, chief of the DEC Bureau of Shellfisheries.
The affected areas include Terry Creek and Meetinghouse Creek in Riverhead, both tributaries of Flanders Bay that are already uncertified year-round for shellfish harvesting, as well as James Creek and its tributaries in Southold. The closure also applies to waters within 350 yards in all directions of the easternmost bulkhead corner on the western shore of the entrance to James Creek in Great Peconic Bay.
Under the emergency designation, harvesting shellfish or carnivorous gastropods from the affected waters is prohibited until the DEC determines marine biotoxins are no longer present at hazardous levels.
Source: LI Press
