New York will provide another $6.5 million toward a new shellfish hatchery in the Town of Islip, bringing the state's commitment to $16.5 million, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
The added funding responds to higher construction costs for the Long Island facility. The project's total cost is now $16.5 million, matching the state's announced commitment. Hochul pledged an initial $10 million in 2024 before the cost increase.
A larger hatchery for local growers
Islip's existing hatchery supplies juvenile oysters and clams to shellfish farmers and supports restoration in Great South Bay. It produces about 25% of all caged oysters harvested in New York state, according to the governor's office.
The planned facility would increase production capacity to meet demand from area growers. Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said the hatchery supports oyster farmers, the local economy and bay-restoration work.
The governor's office said the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a secretarial disaster designation earlier this year for Long Island's shellfish industry. The region's aquaculture businesses are largely small and family-owned, it said.
Water and seafood goals
The hatchery investment also follows the state's Blue Food Transformation initiative, launched in 2024 to support marine agriculture, local food production, environmental health and seafood businesses. The Islip project is aimed at expanding the supply of young shellfish for farmers and restoration projects.
Oysters filter water and can remove excess nutrients, an ecological function the governor's office cited in describing the Great South Bay project.
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