The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the bay scallop season has been changed to open on November 7, 2005 this year. The change follows the adoption of State legislation (Chapter 204, Laws of 2005) on July 12, 2005. Previously, the season began on the first Monday in October.
The law also requires that only those bay scallops having an annual growth line and measuring not less than two-and-one-quarter inches from the middle of the hinge to the middle of the bill may be harvested.
These changes were put in place to protect New York State's bay scallop populations, which have been depleted in recent decades. The changes, which are supported by representatives of baymen's associations on Long Island and The Nature Conservancy, will allow the scallops to mature, reproduce and recover and will assist in efforts to restore bay scallops in the Peconic Bays. A delay in the season opening will allow for the spawning potential of adult scallops to be maximized to achieve long term survival of the bay scallop resource. The requirement for scallops to possess an annual growth line and be a minimum of two and one-quarter inches will protect "bug" scallops and ensure that all scallops will be able to spawn at least once prior to harvest.
In addition, the law provides DEC with the authority to adopt regulations for the management of scallops including open and closed seasons, size limits, catch limits, manner of taking and possession limits, sale and permit requirements. This change will provide DEC with the additional regulatory flexibility to respond to biological and environmental events such as Brown Tide that have significantly impacted the bay scallop population. Beginning next year, the open season and size limits will by set by DEC regulation.
New York's bay scallop resource is primarily located in the waters of Peconic and Gardiners Bays, and situated within the five East End townships of Riverhead, Southold, Shelter Island, Southampton and East Hampton.
The dramatically reduced bay scallop harvest over the past two decades is directly attributable to the effects of Brown Tide, an algae bloom that is named for its coffee color. Brown Tide, first reported in New York in 1985 in Long Island's Peconic Bays, caused mortalities of large portions of the bay scallop population. Although harmless to humans, Brown Tide can be very harmful to shellfish, particularly bay scallops. Brown Tide has been known to kill eel grass beds by blocking sunlight from reaching the aquatic plant, leaving scallops without proper habitat or protection from predators. Brown Tide also out competes the algae that bay scallops normally eat, leaving them with little food to sustain them through maturity. It also moved scallops normal spawning season from spring and summer to early fall. Brown Tide has appeared in Long Island's Peconic and South Shore estuaries as well as areas in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The last large outbreak of Brown Tide in New York was in 1995, but DEC and other State, local and federal agencies and environmental organizations continue to monitor New York's waters for its presence in concentrations dangerous to natural resources.
For additional information on the bay scallop changes for this year, contact DEC's Shellfisheries Unit at (631) 444-0475.
