Letters

Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The mission of the hatchery states that it was founded “to advance Southampton Town’s rich maritime history with modern practices of sustainable aquaculture and ecological stewardship of town waters. We achieve this by growing shellfish, which are used to seed local bays, restore shellfish populations and improve water quality …”

The vast majority of the oysters and clams that we grow are used to do exactly this. We have donated almost 2 million oyster and clam seeds to the town for distribution into local waters since we began in 2013.

In following the rest of our mission statement — “promoting aquaculture through education and experiential opportunities” — we have had many volunteers, as well as interns, from Southampton High School and Southampton Intermediate School work with us over the years, thus gaining an understanding of how shellfish are grown and what they add to the environment. Several of these students have continued their studies in college and majored in marine science.

We also publish a newsletter about four times per year explaining how we operate, the benefits of shellfish, and other facets of aquaculture and our local environment that we think might be of interest.

To operate the hatchery, we have two part-time staff, as well as expenses like insurance and supplies that are needed to feed the growing oysters and clams while they are still too small to put out into the harbor. By selling the adult oysters that we have grown, along with receiving grants and donations, and, in the past, renting out some space to local oystermen (whose agreements with the hatchery were approved by the Southampton History Museum), we have been able to cover the costs to run the hatchery. Our total revenue for 2023 was $44,000; almost half was in the form of donations.

Our accountant, Robert Strebel (also the accountant for the Southampton History Museum) has verified that the revenue we receive from all sources is directly related to our mission and is considered legitimate nonprofit program revenue. We are not a commercial operation.

In recent decades, there has been a renewed interest in sustainable oyster farming and aquaculture on eastern Long Island. We are proud to be a part of this trend in sustainable oyster aquaculture, encouraging the next generation of growers while supporting the current generation.

In recognition of our efforts, we recently received a $10,000 challenge grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. Kathryn Curran, the executive director of the foundation, said, “Their keeping alive the living tradition of Long Island’s great oyster industry at a historic location recognizes the past while celebrating the future.”

Mark Matthews

President

Conscience Point Shellfish