2 more weeks in Bay Scallop season

            Bay scallop lovers will have two more weeks to harvest the shellfish every year.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission decided this week to permanently extend the recreational season by adding two weeks to the end.

Commissioners made the decision after determining that two years of season extensions has not significantly impacted the bay scallop population.

The FWC also said the extension will help increase business opportunities during a time of the year when other fisheries are closed and tourism has decreased.

Bay scallops are also known to be larger at the end of the summer, which may be a draw for some harvesters.

The Commission is also looking into the possibility of a future commercial harvest of bay scallops.

The commercial harvest of bay scallops has been closed in Florida state waters since 1994.

The recreational season starts July 1st and now ends on September the 25th.

Bay scallops can be recreationally harvested in Gulf of Mexico state waters from the Pasco-Hernando County line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County.

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