Department of Commerce providing 6.5 million dollars to help Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery

The US Department of Commerce is making disaster assistance available for the Apalachicola Bay.

6.3 million dollars is being made available through the US Department of Commerce to help the depressed oyster industry in Florida's Apalachicola Bay.

The money is part of a $75 million appropriation by Congress that will be allocated to six fisheries across the country that were declared fishery disasters by the Department of Commerce in 2012 and 2013.

According to the department of Commerce, funding recipients will have broad latitude to determine the best use of the funds to meet the unique needs of their local businesses and communities.

Funds can be used for activities that, "restore the fishery or prevent a similar failure in the future, and to assist a fishing community affected by such failure."

That can include economic recovery efforts such as job training and oyster bed restoration.

There are a number of steps that have to take place before the money can be distributed.

Funds are allocated out through the federal grant process.

NOAA Fisheries will work with the recipients to develop spend plans and ensure that all statutory and grant requirements are addressed.

There will be no matching requirements in this situation.

The Apalachicola bay oyster industry has faced a number of issues in recent years, including low freshwater flows from the river system into the bay, and over-harvesting after the BP oil spill.

The situation was exacerbated by persistent drought.

Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio held a field hearing in Apalachicola last summer to draw attention to the oystermen’s plight.

Other fisheries receiving funding through the disaster relief fund include: commercial fisheries in American Samoa following the tsunami of 2009; commercial fisheries in Mississippi following the Mississippi River flood of 2011; the New England multispecies groundfish fishery for the 2013 season; Alaska's Chinook salmon fishery for 2011 and 2012; and fisheries in New York and New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

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