Oyster Bay Town Councilman Chris J. Coschignano and Town Councilwoman Rose Marie Walker recently attended the 12th annual Oyster Bay Harbor Cleanup Day held this summer and sponsored by the North Oyster Bay Baymen's Association (NOBBA) and the town. Among those on hand were Neil Bergin, deputy commissioner of the town's Department of Environmental Resources; George Herbst of the Department of Environmental Resources and members of NOBBA.

"This is the 13th year baymen, town employees and volunteers have gathered together, rolled up their sleeves and conducted a thorough cleanup of beaches and shoreline areas along Oyster Bay Harbor," Coschignano stated. "While some people walked along beaches collecting debris, others work from boats, picking up trash. It's quite inspiring to see people of all ages pitching in to help keep the harbor and beaches clean.

"The North Oyster Bay Baymen's Association is an organization of independent oystermen and clammers," Coschignano continued. "Individually and collectively, the members of NOBBA have been at the forefront of efforts to protect and preserve the harbor and the shellfishing industry. They work with local government on conservation projects and issues that affect shell fishermen. They purchased and are maintaining a FLUPSY (Floating Upweller System), a large raft to culture small shellfish seed through their delicate 'nursery' stage from the time they come out of the hatchery until they are large enough to be sorted into trays; the town purchased the seed clams. The harbor could not have a better friend than the members of NOBBA."

"Oyster Bay Harbor is an important natural resource, providing recreational and commercial opportunities, as well as serving as critical habitat for shellfish, fish and other types of marine life," Walker stated. "The beach cleanups help preserve the scenic beauty of the beaches and shoreline areas, help improve water quality by removing debris, and reduce potential harm to coastal wildlife and marine life that can become fatally entangled in garbage such as discarded fishing line or six pack yokes or mistake small pieces like bits of Styrofoam or plastic jugs, balloons or plastic bags for food and ingest them, usually with fatal results. The members of NOBBA and all the volunteers who worked that day made an important contribution toward improving the environment, as well as helping to ensure that our beaches and harbor will be preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come."