Farm Type Guide

Aquaculture & Fisheries in New York

Oysters, clams, and seaweed on Long Island, trout and other fish farms upstate, and commercial fishing. How to get started, which permits you need, and the help available to veterans.

The Industry at a Glance

Wild hard clams have nearly disappeared. In 1976, New York harvested about 750,000 bushels, mostly from the Great South Bay, which supplied about half the country’s clams. By 2012, the statewide harvest was about 130,000 bushels, and the Great South Bay produced just 3,368.
Farming is starting to fill the gap. New York’s aquaculture farms grew from 49 in 2018 to 83 in 2023, and sales nearly doubled to about $15.5 million.
Marine farming in New York is limited to shellfish and seaweed: oysters, hard clams, and bay scallops, almost all of it around Long Island.
Fish farming happens upstate in land-based systems, raising trout, salmon, bass, and some aquaponics. Many farms raise fish to stock ponds and streams.
Long Island lands about 99% of New York’s wild-caught seafood, and Montauk is the state’s largest commercial fishing port.

New York’s waters once fed much of the country, and there’s room to grow again. If you’re a veteran interested in raising oysters, clams, or fish, talk to us about joining the effort to bring this work back to New York.

Shellfish Farming: Permits and Water

You need a DEC On/Off-Bottom Culture permit to grow shellfish commercially. It costs $100, renews every year on December 31, and requires monthly reports of what you harvest.
DEC issues the permit only after you have any other permits the project needs, often including one from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and written permission from whoever controls the underwater land.
In Peconic and Gardiners Bays, that permission is a Suffolk County shellfish lease. Leases run 10 years and can be renewed. Applicants need aquaculture training or at least two years of experience on a shellfish farm, plus a growing plan and a business plan. Applications are taken once a year.
In Long Island Sound and other state-owned waters, DEC assigns sites. In town-controlled waters, ask the town about its shellfish program.
Not sure where to start? New York Sea Grant’s aquaculture specialist can look at your plans and set up a meeting with DEC.

Fish Farming Upstate

A DEC fish hatchery permit lets you breed, raise, and sell trout and black bass.
Fish sold for stocking must first be tested and certified disease-free. Stocking a pond needs its own DEC permit, and selling bait fish needs a bait dealer license.
Processing fish for food, like gutting and filleting, is licensed by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Morrisville both offer aquaculture degrees, and SUNY Reconnect may cover the tuition.

Commercial Fishing

Training and Help

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County runs the SPAT oyster gardening program. Low-cost memberships include oyster seed, gear, and monthly workshops. It’s non-commercial, but it’s a good way to learn before you invest.
Cornell and Sea Grant keep a New York aquaculture resource site with guides for shellfish and fish farmers.
The state’s aquaculture and seafood page lists funding, permits, and a seafood coordinator you can email.
Meet other growers through the groups on our Aquaculture, Shellfish & Fisheries Organizations page.

Benefits for Veterans

Shellfish growers can buy USDA shellfish crop insurance through a private agent, with extra savings for veterans.
Where crop insurance isn’t available, NAP covers aquaculture. Veterans pay no service fee and get 50% off buy-up premiums.
ELAP covers farm-raised fish losses, including losses to fish-eating birds starting in 2026, with higher rates for veterans on some losses.
FSA farm loans and Farm Storage Facility Loans can be used for aquaculture. See all USDA veteran benefits.
Work Vessels for Veterans has given injured veterans boats and equipment to start businesses, including shellfish farming.
Brand your oysters or catch with the Homegrown By Heroes veteran label.

How to Get Started

Learn hands-on first, through SPAT, a job on a working farm or boat, or a SUNY course.
Talk with New York Sea Grant’s aquaculture specialist about your site and the permits you’ll need.
Line up your water access, whether a county lease, a town program, or a state site, then apply for your DEC permit.
Get a USDA farm number, file form CCC-860 (veteran certification), and set up NAP or shellfish insurance before you put seed in the water.
Join a grower or fishing group to meet people already doing the work.

Key Links

Sources: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; Suffolk County Aquaculture Lease Program; New York Sea Grant and Cornell aquaculture resources; NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; USDA FSA and RMA; USDA Census of Aquaculture via the NYS Seafood Interagency Workgroup (2024); NYS DEC hard clam assessment.