Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aquaculture topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local harvester calls aquaculture 'disaster' and urges accountability, gear marking and aid
Summary
Tom Field, a commercial wild‑catch harvester, described extensive winter damage to aquaculture gear he called 'ghost gear,' said some operators failed to winterize equipment and asked the board to seek accountability, underwater surveys, gear marking and a fund to help wild‑caught harvesters replace nets and gear.
Tom Field, a lifelong Shelter Island resident and wild‑caught commercial seafood harvester, told the board this winter's weather exposed extensive 'ghost gear' and damaged gear left in lease sites that he said jeopardizes navigation, fishing livelihoods and public safety.
"This aquaculture disaster was avoidable," Field said, urging measures including fines or permit revocations for operators who left gear unmarked or unremoved, stricter winterization requirements, underwater surveys of lease sites to locate abandoned gear and a funding mechanism to help independent harvesters replace expensive nets and damaged vessels. He told the board he cannot afford a replacement net, saying, "I simply do not have 10000 to 14000 dollars for a new net."
A local lease recipient who spoke in response described the regulatory procedures the industry follows — county permitting, DEC and Army Corps involvement, annual reports and salinity testing — and acknowledged there is "ghost gear" in some locations. That speaker suggested improved final inspections when farms close and taller enforcement of removal requirements for ceased operations.
The board heard competing views: harvesters asked for accountability and rapid assistance to prevent small operators from going out of business, while leaseholders and staff emphasized existing regulatory frameworks and the need for careful implementation of any new compliance inspections or funding programs. No formal action on new enforcement or financial aid was recorded during the work session; speakers asked the board to consider a statement or advocacy steps to county and state officials.
