Aw shucks: Oyster farmers dish on aquaculture - Shelter Island Reporter timesreview.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesreview.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ben Gonzalez of Southold Bay Oysters holds a cage of farmed oysters. (Credit: Charity Robey)
For some people on the East End, speaking out against oyster farming is like opposing the adoption of rescue puppies. But at a series of public hearings before the Suffolk County Legislature this winter, yacht clubs, boaters and owners of waterfront property did just that.
On March 2, the Suffolk County Legislature approved the continuation of the county’s 10-year-old aquaculture lease program (known as SCALP) with a boatload of amendments, including a 43% reduction in the underwater acreage that can be leased and new fees for growers. Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Southampton) called it a good compromise that both sides were unhappy.
Column: Oyster growers face a new challenge - Riverhead News Review timesreview.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesreview.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.