APALACHICOLA BAY, FL — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to reopen Apalachicola Bay for a limited oyster harvest in January 2026.
- The FWC voted in favor of final rules and regulations that would allow the bay to reopen while also helping to preserve the ecosystem.
- Some rules include a set number of bags per permit, mandated reporting, and how reefs are determined to sustain a harvest.
- Watch the video below to learn more about it and what locals say about it.
UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After 5 years, Apalachicola Bay is set to reopen to oyster harvesting. While its going to reopen, there'll be strict rules and regulations to help maintain the current ecosystem.
The bay will reopen for a limited harvest on January 1st with some of the following regulations. All of these regulations are in place to help maintain what researchers are calling a fragile ecosystem.
- Establish AB and ABRO endorsement permits for both commercial and recreational harvesting.
- 400 bags per acre of legal-size oysters.
- Commercial Permits harvest Monday-Friday, Recreational Permits harvest on Saturday and Sunday.
- Mandatory reporting of harvesting
Governor Ron DeSantis released a statement after the FWC's vote, saying that Apalachicola's oyster industry has been a cornerstone for Florida's seafood economy. He says he looks forward to continuing to invest in the bay's restoration efforts.
“Apalachicola’s oyster industry has been the cornerstone of Florida’s seafood economy for generations. No place knows oysters better than Apalachicola, which has historically produced more than 90% of Florida’s oysters. I look forward to continuing to invest in restoration activities that support the long-term restoration of Apalachicola Bay and the communities that rely on it.”
Members of the Partnership of a Resilient Apalachicola Bay spoke with me during their September 24th meeting in favor of the reopening.
"It's great news. We you know, at first they were talking about a 10-person participation, a lottery system. There are a lot of a couple different options there," said Ottic Amison, a county commissioner and president of the Partnership of a Resilient Apalachicola Bay. "Our primary, primary focus was just to get it open, you know, because we want it to be something that's viable. Something's closed, not so much. If we can get it open, maybe we could get some more funding for future restoration projects in it and everything. So it was a win. I feel like it was a win."
Also, at that meeting, I spoke with an oysterman who had helped FSU with their research into the bay. He says while the bay has seen growth, it's nowhere near where it used to be, and they have to come up with more ways to harvest the oysters.
"Well, everywhere there's material been planted from 2017 to the latest, is really growing really good oysters," explained Shannon Hartsfield, an oysterman. "The last planting they did is not going to be feasible for the guys to tong and harvest. It is too big a material is too packed down, so it's going to be difficult for the guys to harvest that when they do open up those sections, they don't have to come up with another way to be able to harvest those oysters."
The applications for the AB and ABRO permits will start on November 10th. The deadline to apply is December 16th.
UPDATE:
On Wednesday afternoon, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to partially reopen Apalachicola Bay for limited oyster harvest season.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Original:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is set to vote today on whether to partially open Apalachicola Bay for a limited oyster harvest season come January.
This vote includes the final rules and regulations for oyster management that would help the bay’s ecosystem while allowing harvesting to return.
This vote would include:
- A limited harvest from January 1st- February 28th, 2026, then resume regular oyster seasons from October 1st to the end of February.
- Establish permits for both commercial and recreational harvesters.
- 400 bags per acre of legal-size oysters.
- Recreational harvesters can get one bag tag for the season and can harvest on Saturday and Sunday.
- Commercial harvesters will have tags distributed equally and can harvest Monday through Friday.
- Mandatory reporting of harvesting.
Public comment is underway. Check back for updates.
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