The purpose of this Subpart is to promote and support the maintenance of viable surf clam and ocean quahog populations in select areas of the Marine and Coastal District. The Marine and Coastal District includes the waters of the Atlantic Ocean within three nautical miles from the coastline and all other tidal waters within the State, including the Hudson River up to the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The provisions of this Subpart are designed to limit mechanical surf clam and ocean quahog harvesting activities to specifically defined areas of the Marine and Coastal District, to require a special surf clam/ocean quahog mechanical harvesting permit, to provide specific controls over the design of mechanical harvesting gear, weekly and annual harvest quotas, open and closed seasons, and to require recordkeeping and reporting. Such requirements and controls are intended to support the continuation of a limited capacity fishery in the involved waters of the Marine and Coastal District so that the fishery continues to operate in basic balance with available surf clam and ocean quahog stocks and to aid in the management of a complex system of shellfish resources in adjoining waters.