At its previous meeting, the Council had been briefed on the controversy surrounding the mechanical dredging of shellfish (mainly, hard clams) presently being undertaken by a private company that had secured title to underwater lands in the Peconic Bays system once held by Long Island Oyster Farms for the purpose of aquaculture. Wild harvest fishermen were contending that the company had no right to these shellfish because they were the result of natural reproduction in these waters, not any husbandry activities taken by the company. Gordon Colvin of DEC informed the Council that the DEC had not given the company an aquaculture bed permit for the Year 2000 because the company’s permit application did not demonstrate that the company had sufficient legal interest (title) in these underwater lands to justify awarding a bed permit. At the same time, the DEC indicated that the company must stop harvesting shellfish from these lands. The company refused to do so. The State Attorney General has obtained a temporary court order restraining the company from removing shellfish from these lands. Mr. Colvin said the agency expected to go to trial with the company over this matter next week. He will keep the Council informed of further developments. Several East End baymen complained that this shellfish dredging had been going on for months before the state moved to halt it and that this was too long a response time and allowed significant ecological damage to result.