Governor recommends projects top assist Apalachicola Bay oyster industry

The Governor’s office has released a list of projects in the Apalachicola Bay area that Governor Rick Scott is recommending to receive disaster assistance funding.

The Apalachicola bay oyster industry has faced a number of problems 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.

In February the US Department of Commerce announced it would provide 6.3 million dollars to help the Apalachicola Bay oyster industry which was declared a fishery disaster in 2013.

The governor’s office said it would like to see over 4.5 million dollars used for reshelling.

Not only would that give oysters more area to grow, but would also provide work for oystermen who are struggling to make ends meet.

Over 768 thousand dollars would be used to upgrade facilities for seafood processors in Franklin County while over 563 thousand dollars would be set aside for vocational and educational training for oystermen who want to find other lines of work.

An additional 415 thousand would be used to monitor the oyster population to insure that the rebuilding projects are working.

The projects are subject to final approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

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