| |
| Oyster Relay Helps Local Economy, Fisherman The Wakulla Oyster Relay was put on by a joint effort from WCFA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This year's relay was funded by a $50,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture. Because of the event, more than triple that amount is expected to be injected back into the coastal economy. It also helps provide jobs. "It is an investment in all of Florida," said State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, who went out to learn about the project. "There are people here who are hungry. I am ready to learn and work up a sweat," he added before boarding a boat. (Tallahassee Democrat, 8/11) Drought Helps South Florida Growers Meet Water Pollution Goal · A drought that was bad for South Florida water supplies at least helped reduce the amount of damaging phosphorus that flowed off agricultural land and into the Everglades. Pollution control measures, along with having less storm water to clean up, enabled growers in the Everglades Agricultural Area to surpass the state standard for reducing phosphorus runoff that comes from fertilizer. Growers in the more than 400,000-acre agricultural area south of Lake Okeechobee during the past year averaged 79 percent less phosphorous runoff than a state-set threshold allows, according to the South Florida Water Management District. The state standard calls for phosphorus runoff levels to be at least 25 percent below the threshold, which is based on levels before phosphorus reduction efforts began. (South Florida Sun Sentinel, 8/11) $100M For Everglades Restoration May Roll Down Caloosahatchee River During a tour of a wetland preserve in West Palm Beach on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and state officials announced $100 million in federal funds to buy development rights from farmers and ranchers in four counties bordering Lake Okeechobee and to help pay to restore wetlands on 24,000 agricultural acres. Creating more natural areas to store and filter water helps water managers avoid damaging lake releases down the Caloosahatchee River and into the Gulf of Mexico and south into the Everglades. (Naples Daily News, 8/11) Florida Lawmakers Blast New EPA Water-Pollution RulesA congressional subcommittee meeting near Orlando Tuesday bashed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new water-pollution rules for Florida as "devastating" for jobs, families and industry. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, also pressed an EPA representative to say whether the rules are poorly designed for the state's diverse environments. "I guess I'm trying to get you to admit that Florida has particular needs," said Stearns, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. "I think we all agree that Florida has a unique topography and a unique jewel in its water sources," Gwen Keyes Fleming, regional EPA administrator from Atlanta, said in response. "What we did was to help protect the economies that rely on that water source." (Orlando Sentinel, 8/9) A Good Season For Florida Citrus Growers Last season's farm prices defied gravity, rising 8.5 percent for early and midseason orange varieties picked from October to March and 13 percent for late-season Valencia oranges picked through June. That is compared to 2009-10 farm prices. On average, processors paid Florida orange growers $1.53 per pound solids, a measure of the quantity of juice squeezed from citrus, for early-mids and $1.84 per pound for Valencias, according to the Florida Department of Citrus in Bartow. (Sarasota Herald Tribune, 8/10) Commissioner Spotlight Thursday, Commissioner Putnam joined oyster harvesters from Wakulla County and surrounding areas for the Wakulla Oyster Relay. On the water in Apalachicola Bay, he joined the harvesters in tonging oysters. The annual relay is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and hosted by the Wakulla County Fishermen Association. At the Department The state of Florida has been actively engaged in oyster resource management projects for more than sixty years. Through events like this week’s oyster relay, the Department is supporting local harvesters and the local economy who depend on this important industry. “Relaying” and “transplanting” oysters provides opportunities to restore shellfish resources, while also taking advantage of the safe, abundant shellfish populations for state’s harvesters. In Florida, numerous productive oyster reefs are located in waters where harvesting for sale is prohibited to avert public health problems associated with actual or potential pollution. Because oysters filter large volumes of water while feeding and respiring, they are capable of concentrating waterborne contaminants that may be of public health concern. However, this process can be reversed when pollutant levels are reduced or when oysters are re-located to areas with good water quality, taking advantage of the oyster’s ability to cleanse itself. Since relaying requires removing oysters from potentially polluted waters, stringent oversight and supervision are required to ensure that program guidelines are followed and public health is protected. Relaying is most often accomplished during closed harvesting seasons so the oysters have adequate time to cleanse (typically 14 days) prior to being harvested. The only acceptable method of moving these oysters is by tonging or picking up by hand in shallow areas and transporting the oysters by shallow draft vessels. Resource development projects called “transplanting” or “re-seeding” take advantage of abundant juvenile oysters that can be used to restock or “seed” depleted oyster reefs. When juvenile or seed oysters are transplanted onto reefs in favorable environments in the summer, some will be available for harvest during the upcoming winter harvesting season, which will continue to support the local economy. A Look Ahead · Tuesday, August 16: Commissioner Putnam will participate in the twichttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4140896021905240585e monthly meeting of the Governor and the Cabinet, Tallahassee, FL. · Wednesday, August 17: Commissioner Putnam will tour the Feeding America Food Bank and distribute food from the Mobile Food Pantry, Tampa, FL. · Wednesday, August 17: Commissioner Putnam will deliver remarks at the Gulf Citrus Growers Industry Banquet, Fort Myers, FL. · Thursday, August 18: Commissioner Putnam will deliver remarks at the Associated Industries of Florida Annual Meeting, West Palm Beach, FL. |
| |
http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
No comments:
Post a Comment