Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced $3 million in awards to 14 Long Island aquaculturists in a second round of the Long Island Aquaculture Infrastructure Grant Program.
Saturday’s announcement specifies that the awards will help shellfish producers make infrastructure upgrades, streamline operations, and increase production. The program has earmarked a total of $4.2 million to New York’s aquaculture industry, part of the state’s Blue Food Transformation initiative.
In the first round of funding in the program, announced in October, a total of $1.2 million went to 17 Long Island businesses and was dedicated to purchasing or upgrading equipment.
Phil Mastrangelo of Oysterponds Shellfish in Orient described an extensive operation, including land-based upwellers, floating upweller systems known as FLUPSYs, cages, lines, anchors, grow-out bags, and motors and gear boxes, much of which requires constant maintenance or regular replacement. The state award, he said, will allow older equipment to be replaced and the operation to be expanded with new equipment.
“The more oysters we grow in our waterways, the more benefit we provide to our marine ecosystem,” he told The Star. “Every time we take a mature oyster out of the water, we are taking a scientifically measurable amount of carbon and nitrogen out of the water. Considering Suffolk County alone spends over $32 million a year on nitrogen mitigation in our bays through septic system grants, I’d say this is money well spent.”
John Nicholas of the East Hampton Oyster Co. and East Hampton Shucker Co. said state officials had inspected the site and sought detailed plans, which he provided. “We buy spat from the East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery at about 2 to 4 millimeters,” he said. “We grow them up” for about a year “before we take them to the open-water site.”
He plans to use the award money to purchase FLUPSYs as well as rafts, oyster cages and bags, and anchors, buoys, and lines for the open water.
Awardees also include Hampton Oyster Company, Davy Jones Landing, Lucky 13 Oysters, Scrimshaw Enterprises, Hart Lobster Co., Thatch Island, Peconic Gold Oysters, North Fork Big Oyster Corp., Jeffrey M. Kraus, Dune Fishery, Cornelius and Little Ram Oyster Company, and West Robins Oyster Company.
According to the most recent United States Department of Agriculture census of agriculture, the aquaculture industry accounts for more than 25 percent of farms on Long Island, including 155 operations in Suffolk County.
The announcement of the second round of the grant program followed the governor’s request for a U.S.D.A. Secretarial Disaster Designation for Suffolk following severe weather that significantly impacted aquaculture operations in February. With severe ice conditions affecting oyster harvesting and operations and damaging boats and aquaculture equipment, producers face an estimated combined $2.4 million loss, the governor said. A disaster declaration would allow eligible producers to apply for low-interest emergency loans and disaster assistance.
“New York State is home to a thriving, unique agriculture industry that doesn’t stop when you reach the shoreline,” the governor said in a statement. “Long Island’s historic seafood industry is second to none, helping to strengthen local food supply chains, bolster our state’s economy, and upholding a legacy of excellence and dedication to industry.”
“Anyone who has been doing this for any length of time knows the personal investment of time, pain, and money they have put into it to get to a point of self-sustaining production,” Mr. Mastrangelo said. “Helping the industry here on Long Island reach that point is a welcome change. We are grateful to our governor for recognizing the benefits of aquaculture for our marine ecosystem, providing well-paying jobs, and trying to reclaim the title of ‘best oyster in the world.’ ”
