The Baykeeper’s Report
by Cile Downs
We feel a debt of gratitude to Kevin McAllister, the Peconic Baykeeper. Without his watchful eye on dozens, even hundreds, of sources of data and his reports on the condition of the bays and estuaries, we might now be completely in the dark about some very alarming trends. If you receive Baywatch, the Baykeeper’s publication, or if you noticed the review of it that recently appeared in Newsday, you know that the current L.I. Bay Health Report is pretty bad. Grades are given in ten different categories*; only three rise so far as a “C”, four receive a “D” and three earn a disgraceful “F”.
Of particular interest to APC is the report on eelgrass. We knew it had vanished in Accabonac but now, according to studies up until 2006, it has also disappeared from Three Mile Harbor. Of course, there went the scallops. We have heard from expert Chris Pickerell that there has been some success with eelgrass restoration in the Peconic Bays, but also that replanting has not worked in Accabonac. Until conditions allow eelgrass to thrive, it will be useless to hope for a return of the scallop.
In two categories where remediation is urgent, namely Nitrogen levels (which may cause algal blooms) and Bacterial contamination, there has been either no improvement or actual decline. Storm water runoff is considered responsible for the bacterial levels that trigger shellfish bed closings. The APC has persistently lobbied for improvement in Town handling of storm water, to no avail. Unfortunately, the pricey installations we now have, have been miserable failures.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking report of all is the one on the decline of winter flounder, more than 99% since 1988. There is debate about closing the fishery. Under present circumstances, only by giving the stocks a rest can we hope for a recovery. Otherwise we will have to accept that flounder has gone the way of the cod, and no one thinks the cod will ever come back. They were fished to death.
The Newsday article lays a great deal of blame upon shore-hardening structures; their destructive potential, not only for down-littoral shorelines but for the whole eco-systems they replace, is well-known. But politicians always fear to anger property-owners. Newsday goes out on a limb on this one: they say “the state and towns must work to slow this trend.”
*Graded categories: Eelgrass, Shoreline hardening, South shore tributaries, Winter flounder, Peconic Bay finfish, Hard clams, Bay scallops, Bacteria, Harmful algal blooms, and Nitrogen levels
