Saving Seafood

NEW YORK: Cuomo requests federal disaster declaration, aid for scallop die-off

December 6, 2019 — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday requested the U.S. Department of Commerce issue a disaster declaration for the Peconic Bay scallop fishery, following a catastrophic die-off of scallops in East End waterways.

An immediate declaration of a disaster is needed, he said, to provide “direct economic relief for the New York fishing industry.”

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Cuomo requested that the federal government formally declare a fishery failure in the bay scallop fishery in the Peconic Bay Estuary due to a “fishery resource disaster.”

Cuomo did not site a figure for economic losses or impacts tied to the die-off.

The move comes as researchers and biologists from the state, Suffolk County, Cornell University and Stony Brook University gathered Friday night at Stony Brook’s Southampton campus to detail the latest information about the die-off, which was first recognized as the scallop season opened Nov. 5.

Read the full story at Newsday

Biologists suspect New York bay scallops are latest victim of warmer waters

November 20, 2019 — The famed bay scallops of eastern Long Island came back after their near-death experience of brown tides only after years of a dedicated restoration effort. Now biologists are worried the fishery may be at risk with increasing water temperatures.

New York baymen are seeing the worst Peconic Bays scallop season in years, after summer 2019 water temperatures that reached a sustained July peak of 84 degrees in some places.

The scallops were devastated by severe brown tides for more than a decade starting in 1984 and were nurtured back with many years of work by scientists, baymen, aquaculture experts and volunteers. The shellfish face other threats like being eaten by cownose rays and other predators. But biologists think this situation is different.

“I do believe this one in dues to high water temperatures and low dissolved oxygen that may have coincided with spawning,” Long Island University professor Steve Tettlebach who works with the Cornell Cooperative Extension told National Fisherman. “So, the combination of these stressors is the most plausible explanation for the die-off of adults.”

The damage became evident during the Cornell fall scallop survey when workers found thousands of empty shells, and baymen came home largely empty-handed from the fall season.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

NEW YORK: Likely Scallop Die-Off Raises Concerns On Long Island

November 11, 2019 — Scallop season started this week, but fisheries on eastern Long Island say scallops in the Peconic Bay may have died off over the summer.

Roger Tollefsen, former executive director of the New York Seafood Council, an industry group in the Hampton Bays, says scallops depend on nutrients in the water to survive.

Harmful algal blooms can diminish the population, but Tollefsen says that some algae can help create a healthier ecosystem.

“We should be nurturing the good algae in our bays as opposed to simply trying to eliminate the ones which we call harmful.”

Read the full story at WSHU

NEW YORK: Peconic Bay Scallop Season A Wash: ‘The Worst In 15 Years’

November 6, 2019 — Phones were ringing at seafood shops and restaurants across the North Fork and East End Monday with hungry diners hoping to celebrate the first day of Peconic Bay scallop season.

But for those who’ve waited months for that much-heralded first taste of sweet goodness, the news was grim: This year’s season is, quite simply, a bust.

Scallop fisherman Kevin Mellenburg, out on opening day, reflected on the turn of events. “This is the worst harvest season we’ve seen in the last decade,” he said. With so few scallops to be had, he said, “Prices will be through the roof.” He got about three bushels Monday, he said, and his take was one of the top three highest on Peconic Bay, he said.

Kathie Cibulski and her fiance Henry Romanowski of Laurel confirmed the bad news after a day out on the water. “There are a lot of dead shells out there. It’s not like it usually is.” On Monday, she said, Romanowski brought in about 3.5 bushes. “Usually on opening day he can get up to about 10 or so,” she said.

Read the full story at Patch

New York: Huge scallop harvest, growth in oyster farming boost East End

December 1, 2017 — An abundance of plumped-up bay scallops from waters around the Peconic Bay is giving Long Island’s East End shellfishing industry a vital boost.

With the industry already thriving from a resurgence of oysters, the plentiful scallop harvest is buoying businesses from the East End to Manhattan, where scallops and oysters from Long Island waters are prominent in fish markets and on restaurant menus.

Since the scallop season opened with a strong start in early November, fish dealers have been buying hundreds of pounds a day. The surge in volume is keeping fishermen, shuckers, wholesalers and seafood store owners busy, but it has also pushed prices down. Scallops are selling for less than $20 a pound, in some cases as low as $15, down from around $35 last year.

Some dealers had difficulty keeping up with the harvest at first, advertising for scallop shuckers on road-side signs. Customers who typically buy a pound or two are buying 4 and 5 pounds, shop owners say. Restaurants are finding ways to keep scallops on the menu.

Read the full story at Newsday

 

Opening day results point to disappointing scallop season

November 8, 2016 — On the first day of Peconic Bay scallop season Monday, local fishermen and seafood retailers were lamenting what they called a rough start out on the water.  

While the windy weather was a factor in reaching some of the better spots, baymen said they mostly just weren’t finding the sort of volume they normally encounter on opening day.

The results so far indicate you won’t find bay scallops on too many restaurant menus this year or for very long.

“It will be a short and sweet season,” said Southold Fish Market owner Charlie Manwaring, who only had five bushels at his store by 1 p.m. Monday. “We’re going to have scallops, but it’s not going to be what it has been the last few years.”

By 3 p.m. Mr. Manwaring reported having 30 bushels, less than a quarter of what he had at the same time on opening day 2015, which was also considered a slow start.

Things weren’t much different a little farther west on Main Road at Braun’s Seafood in Cutchogue, where manager Keith Reda said there “seems to be a lot less scallops” than usual.

Read the full story at the Suffolk Times

First day of Peconic Bay scallop season ‘not so good,’ according to fishermen, shop owner

November 2, 2015 — It’s the day North Forkers wait for all year — the first day of Peconic Bay scallop season, when dinner means delectable, sweet scallops, sauteed with butter and a hint of lemon — the day that can mean a booming season for fishermen, or a disappointing bust.

Unfortunately, according to fishermen and fish store owners, today’s first day signaled a disheartening kickoff to the season.

“It was okay,” said Andrew Myslborski, who set off with high hopes soon dashed this morning. He returned home with 11 bushels, less than last year. “It wasn’t a banner year like last year,” he said.

When asked what he thought the reasons might be, Myslborski shook his head. “It’s just nature,” he said. “We were very lucky last year. But it is what it is.”

Charles Manwaring, owner of the Southold Fish Market, agreed. The first day, he said, was “not so good. Not as good as last year.”

Read the full story at Southold Local