Report of ff)e ^Qperintendent of 



>5I)eUfisf)erie$ 



1903 



To 11)e Forest, FisI) and Game Commission: 



GENTLEMEN. — I have the honor to present the following report of the 

 business of the Shellfish Department, which, under the supervision of 

 the Commission, has been assigned to my management as Superintendent 

 of Shellfisheries. There are now held by the shellfish planters, under lease and 

 franchise from the State, 27,871 acres for cultivation. 



The lands leased during the past year are located under the waters of Long 

 Island Sound, Raritan Bay, Jamaica Bay, Princes Bay, Great Kills and Lower 

 New York Bay. 



For the purpose of insuring accurate surveys of these lands coast signals, or 

 monuments, are established and maintained along the shores of the bodies of water 

 mentioned. Each tract leased and surveyed is carefully platted upon the maps 

 and described upon the records of the Shellfish Office. These maps and records 

 are of great and permanent value to the shellfish industry, as upon them depend 

 the titles to all the lands held for shellfish cultivation in State waters. 



Twenty-nine applications for grounds in Pelham Bay, East Chester Bay and 

 adjacent waters have been received. As these waters constitute new territory for 

 leases, it will be necessary to make a triangular survey for the purpose of 

 erecting signals by which the tracts may be located. 



Cold Spring Harbor. 



No finer oysters are to be had than those which are taken from the waters 

 of Cold Spring Harbor. Planters in those waters have for many years received 

 their leases from the town of Huntington upon the assumption that the title 

 to the harbor was, under an ancient grant, vested in the town. During the 

 year the title of the town has been questioned and several applications for such 

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