UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay could resume after a 5-year closure. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation voted yes to preliminary guidelines to reopen the bay, Thursday morning.
The bay has been closed for oyster harvesting since 2020. The FWC voted unanimously to close it after the oyster reefs collapsed in 2013.
The commission voted to have a limited season, which would begin on January 1st and go through February. The main season would start in October of 2026 and go through February 2027.
Staff recommended opening reefs that had met an ecological recovery threshold. In recent months, we’ve shown you how important oyster harvesting is for Apalachicola's economy. Many neighbors voiced their support for the reopening during today's meeting.
“The economy at the time is really dependent on ecotourism. And wild-caught commercial fishing goes hand in hand with ecotourism, when people have come to this area to, you know, to see that type of stuff,” explained Wayne Williams, Seafood Work & Waterman Association. “The future for Apalachicola Bay, or at least at least I hope to see is our resources come back, and we build that industry back.”
The final meeting before the January 1st harvest is in early November.
Original:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted yes Thursday to preliminary guidelines that would partially reopen Apalachicola Bay for oyster harvesting.
The bay collapsed in 2013, and it’s been closed since 2020 to allow the oyster reefs to recover.
They approved Option 2 with some modifications. They limited the season from January 1st to the end of February. They increased the unsized oysters from 5 to 30.
Option 2 will allow any qualified harvester who applies for the AB Endorsement in the first year to receive one.
The main season will be from October 2026 to February 2027.
In February, we reported that oysters are not only a huge driver for the economy for Apalachicola and the surrounding areas, but also for the environment.
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