Saturday is the first day of the winter Oyster harvesting season, and the season is opening with a lower bag limit

Saturday is the first day of the winter Oyster harvesting season, and the season is opening with a lower bag limit.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has lowered the commercial bag limit for oysters to two bags per harvester during the winter season which runs from September 1st through May 31st.

Last year oystermen were allowed 3 bags.

The daily recreational person, vessel and possession limit remains at 5 gallons of oysters in the shell.

Commercial and recreational oyster harvesting will be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the winter season.

Portions of the bay known as areas 1612 and 1622 are closed south of Sheepshead Bayou.

The changes are effective in all of Apalachicola Bay, including all waters of Indian Lagoon in Gulf County.

The FWC began implementing tighter oyster harvesting rules in the fall of 2014 in an effort to help the Apalachicola Bay oyster population recover from the effects of low river flow.  

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