A recently enacted New York State law aims to protect seagrass and rebuild the declining number of seagrass beds in the waters off Long Island.
The beds harbor and protect many different kinds of fish and are essential to maintaining underwater and nearby wildlife.
“This bill will stop many of the practices that have been causing our seagrass to die,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the Seagrass Protection Act into law on Tuesday.
New York has lost 178,197 acres of seagrass beds since 1930 and has been left with less than 22,000 remaining acres, officials said.
“Seagrass beds stabilize shorelines, reduce turbulence, and provide spawning and nursery habitat for fish and invertebrate species,” said Joe Martens, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The new law aims to preserve seagrass populations by restricting activities that may threaten seagrass areas, such as the use of mechanical fishing equipment. It also aims to expand seagrass areas by allowing the DEC to develop and adopt a seagrass management plan.
State Sen. Owen H. Johnson (R-West Babylon) and Assemb. Bob Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) sponsored the bill in their respective chambers in the Legislature.
The law will take effect next year.
