If you fish Long Island Sound, you know Plum Island, NY. Located a bit over a mile off Orient Point, Plum Island is adjacent to some of the finest fishing in the Sound. Yes, I’m talking about the Sluiceway and Plum Gut.
You also likely know the Plum Island itself is verboten. No, you don’t land here my friend. Hey in the “Silence of the Lambs” Plum Island was noted as a vacation spot for Hannibal Lector! In 1952, this 3 mile island became home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Originally focused on hoof-and-mouth, the center is widely believed to research all kinds of deadly biological agents. Then in 2003 the plot thickened; the island was handed over to Home Land Security. ummm…
Back in the 1990, the National Academy of Sciences advised that the work done on Plum could be better accomplished elsewhere. Bingo. Immediately I rallied a group of people to press the Feds into vacating the island, cleaning it up and turning it into a National Park. Noooo luck. But it now looks like the Feds are finally pulling out! Efforts are underway by Congress to sell the island. Check out this link – www.plumislandny.com
Its high time for anglers & boaters to write a letter to their Congressman, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, asking them to clean up and preserve Plum Island as part of the National Park Service. Man that would be great……
They’re going to sell Plum Island ! Can that ever be cleaned up ? Who knows what’s out there, but it has to be more than foot and mouth disease. All I knew was you gave the place a wide bearth. Who would the target audience for sale be? Perhaps the Navy Seals?
Jim,
Yes the island is finally up for grabs…But I’m not recommending you drink the water.