Oyster Bay shellfish initiative gets boost from Bayville hatchery

A Bayville shellfish hatchery recently donated approximately $250,000 worth of equipment to the Town of Oyster Bay to support the town’s shellfish restoration efforts.

The donation from Creekview Aquaculture included more than a dozen pieces of equipment, including upweller tanks, silos, larva tanks, tumblers, sieves, pumps and heaters.

The equipment will allow the town to add another three to five million more clams and oysters into the harbor each year. Increasing the shellfish population in local waters has significant benefits for the environment and the water quality, as one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.

The expanded shellfish program is expected to seed up to 10 million new clams and oysters annually.