Commercial Fishery Failure declared for Apalachicola Bay oysters

The U.S. Department of Commerce declared a commercial fishery failure for the oyster fishery along the west coast of Florida on Monday.

Governor Rick Scott requested the declaration last September after it was discovered that the oyster population in the Apalachicola Bay and in other water bodies along Florida were extremely low.

Within the last year, landings on the Florida west coast oyster fishery have declined nearly 60 percent, with a 44 percent reduction in revenues.

The decline in revenues is considered an unusual occurrence and is not part of a cyclical downturn in revenues.

The state of Florida projects that with the continued decline in landings, revenue losses are only expected to increase and remain lower than the historical average until the oyster population begins to rebound.

It takes about three years for oysters to reach a marketable size.

A recent report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found that the oyster disaster is the consequence of low water flow due to water-management policies and overconsumption of the river water by users along the river system.

The Department of Commerce said the disaster resulted from excessive drought conditions in the southeast.

The declaration of a fishery disaster allows Congress to appropriate funds to provide economic assistance to seafood businesses as well as communities impacted by the disaster.

It also allows congress to provide funding for programs that address the disaster.

If Congress appropriates funds to address the Florida oyster fishery failure, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work closely with members of Congress and the state of Florida to develop a spending plan and distribute the funds to help coastal communities and the fishing industry.

Governor Rick Scott said, “The federal government did the right thing in approving this commercial fisheries failure declaration. Now we need the support of Congress to provide the dollars necessary to support this region’s recovery.”

Governor Scott added that “Congress should move with a sense of urgency to provide much needed support for families in the region, so they can get back on their feet and continue providing our nation with the world’s best oysters.” 

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