Commercial fishing

The Working Waterfronts Program will allow Suffolk County to acquire conservation easements to help preserve commercial fishing, aquaculture and other marine industries, which contribute more than $3 billion annually to the county's economy.

With the end of the 2023-2024 legislative session just six weeks away, Environmental advocates have launched a full-court press to get Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would ban the harvesting of horseshoe crabs in New York.

Applications are now being accepted for federal CARES Act funding to assist New York's marine fishing industry following extensive economic losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The task force will hold roundtable meetings with stakeholders and make recommendations by Sept. 30, 2019 to promote marketing and sustainability of New York seafood.

New York's commercial fluke fishing quota is based on incomplete 30-year-old data and discriminates against New York commercial fishermen, according to the governor.

After an outcry from elected officials and commercial fishermen, the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has backed off the plan announced last month to abruptly close down the commercial bluefish fishery.