and Eastchester Bay and charter and/or party boat facilities should be increased 

 at Greenport and Mattituck, New York if parking and transportation facilities 

 can be expanded., At the present time, Connecticut's general policy concerning 

 boating access is to have at least one public boating access point for each 

 town bordering the Sound o Therefore, it is recommended that approximately 

 25 additional access points be purchased in these coastal towns when and if 

 property becomes availableo Public access to the shoreline should also be 

 encouraged at the ends of streets and roads abutting the Sound and its tribu- 

 taries,. Both states should sponsor legislation funding public access for 

 fishing, particularly where federal funds have been used for construction of 

 sea walls, jetties, and groins. Public utilities should be encouraged to open 

 jetties and sea walls for fishing as part of their public relations and community 

 service role. 



Improve availability of fishing grounds. Bottom restoration, develop- 

 ment of new beds, better aquaculture techniques, and improved hatchery methods 

 are recommended to enhance opportunities for shellf ishingo Construction of 

 fishing piers and maintenance of present piers will provide additional sport 

 fishing opportunities for the urban dweller, children, and low income groupso 

 It should be understood that further study and evaluation of specific sites 

 for the construction of fishing piers is neededo In the case of Nassau and 

 Bronx Counties, where access is extremely limited, it is recommended that access 

 acquisition be considered a future project to be implemented when and if 

 land becomes available,, Some possible sites for acquisition in these counties 

 include areas of the Throgs Neck Bridge, City Island, Harbor Island and Mama- 

 roneck Harboro However, at the present time, it is recommended that states 

 and/or municipalities construct fishing piers, where feasible, at Harkness 

 Memorial Park, Ocean Beach, Hammonasset State Park, Stamford Park, Bridgeport 

 Harbor, Sherwood Island State Park, Sheffield Island, Calf Pasture Beach, 

 Sunken Meadow State Park, Wildwood State Park, and other suitable areas in 

 New York and Connecticut. 



Promote underutilized species. States, together with NMFS and 

 public environmental education programs, should encourage the use and promo- 

 tion of underutilized finfish and shellfish species (skate, cunner, dogfish, 

 conch, sea robin, mussels) o Provided the recreational fisherman can identify 

 these species and is aware of the ways to prepare these fish for the table, 

 the use of these species should provide increased recreational fishing satis- 

 faction and may increase localized market products. 



Second Priority Recommendations 



Increasing tidal flushing is a specific project under the recom- 

 mendation to improve and restore wetlands; however, since tidal flushing 

 rates poor economically and socially, it has been rated as a secondary 

 recommendation. To help restore natural salt marsh productivity, the federal 

 government (Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA) and States should increase tidal 



53 



