The Town of Hempstead is considering a proposed Bay Aquaculture License Program. If enacted, it would lease parts of our bays to for-profit companies for shellfish and seaweed farming.
Potential upsides of a program like this would be the filtering and cleaning of bay waters by shellfish grown in these lease zones. Monetizing the public bays by selling leases would also provide a new potential revenue stream to the Town to help offset recent increasing labor costs and other expenses.
Potential downsides would be the loss of public access to areas of our bays that would be leased out, curtailment of commercial boating & fishing in the vicinity of lease sites, and potential navigation hazards with the introduction of floating cages, buoys and other infrastructure to support the aquaculture program. Habitat disruption for the local ecology of the bay through the introduction of non-native species, and the anti-biotics and chemicals used to cultivate them could also present a potential environmental challenge.
The Town is also conducting a public online survey to gather opinions and concerns about this program. The link to the survey and additional information is provided below. As residents of Point Lookout, we all have a unique and daily connection to the bay, and we encourage everyone to review the program and complete the survey. See link below
TOH Aquaculture Feasibility Survey Form
Additional proposed project information can be found on the
Town of Hempstead Department of Conservation & Waterways Website
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach out to us directly via email at info@pointlookoutcivic.org
