In a continued effort to enhance the local commercial fishing industry, the Town of Huntington has obtained a State grant to help fund a study to determine how well hatchery-produced clams survive after being seeded in local waters.

"This collaborative effort between the Town and various agencies will enable us to better safeguard our shellfish while assisting those who depend on the waters for a living," Supervisor Frank P. Petrone said. "This study will hopefully shed new light on how well seeded clams and oysters are surviving and at what rates."

As part of its shellfish management program, the Town annually places more than one million seed clams and oysters throughout Huntington's bays and harbors to replenish the shellfish stock. The Town purchases the seed shellfish from an Oyster Bay company that produces the seeds in a hatchery.

How well the seed clams and oysters survive will be the primary focus of the study. In addition, researchers will carefully examine and compare survival rates for shellfish planted at different times throughout the growing season.

The study will be a joint venture between the Town; Marine Sciences Research Center, SUNY Stony Brook; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program; and the State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Shellfisheries.

Earlier this year, the Town submitted a formal application seeking grant money from the New York State SeaGrant to help support the study. In September, the Town was notified that it had been selected as one of six Towns on Long Island to receive funding. Project costs will cover investigations at six different sites throughout Long Island – one of the sites being in Huntington. The agreement is expected to be finalized by the end of this year with work scheduled to begin next year.

Huntington shellfish, including little neck, cherry and chowder clams, is recognized as the finest tasting and highest quality on the East Coast. Shellfish harvested from local waters are shipped daily to New York City's Fulton Fish Market and distributed nationwide. The industry dates back to Colonial times in Huntington and continues to contribute greatly to the local economy.

Over the past several years, the Town has undertaken a number of resource management programs to enhance and protect the local shellfish industry. They include:

• Mariculture program with the development of a town operated upwelling system to grow-out shellfish. The pilot project, launched this spring, proved successful and will continue next year.

• In 2000, the greater Huntington – Northport Bay complex was designated as a vessel waste "No-Discharge Zone" through request submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

• Annual seasonal and conditional shellfish harvesting programs during the winter months.

• Shellfish transplant programs designed to re-stock shellfish growing areas depleted from harvesting.

• Bay Scallop Spawner Sanctuary Project designed to evaluate the possibility of re-introducing the resource to the bay complex, and to determine survivability during the winter months.

• Marine resource stock assessment surveys designed to evaluate "standing stocks;"qualify the fishing effort on the resource; and develop management strategies to help protect and sustain shellfish resources in the bay complex.