APALACHICOLA, Fla. (WTXL) — Apalachicola Bay is back open after a 5-year closure, but despite meeting requirements, some harvesters say they did not receive an endorsement to get back out on the water.
- The bay reopened for a limited harvest season, starting Jan. 1 and ending on Feb. 28.
- Neighbors are excited that the bay is reopened, but some are upset with how the reopening was handled.
- Watch the video below to hear some of their frustrations with the FWC.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The oyster harvest in Apalachicola Bay is part of the culture here in the Big Bend. Now, after 5 long years, that culture is coming back as the bay has reopened to harvesting.
I'm neighborhood reporter Serena Davanzo in Apalachicola.
I spoke with many neighbors about this reopening, and they all share the same sentiment: this was needed for the community, but the FWC has to do better.
"This whole license thing, the way they've done it, I think it's wrong. I think we should be able to get our license. If we lived here, especially, we should be able to get our license," said wild harvest oysterman Robert "Zack" Thompson.
While many neighbors in Franklin County are excited to see the bay reopened for harvesting, they're upset with the FWC with how they've handled restoration and the reopening.
To receive an AB endorsement for this harvest, the FWC required commercial harvesters to have a saltwater products license, a shellfish endorsement, have previous Apalachicola Bay wild oyster landings between 2012 and 2020, and be a Florida resident.
I talked to some oystermen on and off the camera, many saying they did not receive an endorsement even though they met the requirements.
"I don't think it should have been, you know, whether you've had a ticket here, there, whatever, over this time frame or that time frame," said Thompson. "I don't think none of that should have mattered. I think we should have all got a fresh start right here when this bay opened up. And I don't think they should have, it should have been that kind of selection."
When it comes to the restoration of the bay, as of now, there hasn't been a full-scale restoration. However, on December 11th, Governor DeSantis is recommending $25 million in funding to expedite efforts to restore and recover oyster habitats in Apalachicola Bay.
Local oyster farmer Monte Akin says that he hopes that part of the money could be used to help support the wild harvest oystermen bring back jobs to the community.
"There's certain things they can do that will help restore the bay in the long run, but it doesn't help the short-term. And what we need right now is the short-term, for people to be able to go out there and have jobs, and this is what's going to bring the economy, local economy back up."
Though the oystermen I spoke to all agree that this reopening was needed for the local communities.
Franklin County Commissioner Ottice Amison said that many of his constituents were worried that if it didn't open this year, it never would. However, now it's a good step to move the restoration forward.
"Now that the door is open. I mean, you can't ignore it now, so that's a good thing, and that's where I've always been at. I wanted to see it in '26 open," said Amisom. "However, it opened. I wanted it open. If it was a 10 limited participation, or if it's 151, at the end of the day, the bay's open. Now we can't ignore it. Let's get it restored. Let's get some material out there. Let's move forward."
I have reached out to the FWC about what the oystermen told me about not receiving endorsements, and at the time of this report, I have heard back, but the earliest they can address this is Monday.
This limited harvest season will go from now to the 28th of February.
The FWC will continue to monitor the bay and set new totals for the next season starting in October.
In Apalachicola Serena Davanzo ABC27.
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