The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold two workshops in Apalachicola over the next few weeks to get input on oyster management and regulations in Florida, and specifically Apalachicola Bay.
The FWC is moving forward on a plan that should reopen the Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting in a very limited capacity beginning in January.
The Bay has been closed to wild oyster harvest since 2020 after the local oyster population collapsed in 2013.
The reopening plan would allow a limited amount of commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in January and February, with a longer fall harvest beginning in October, 2026.
Oyster harvesting will only be allowed on specific oyster bars that meet a minimum threshold of oyster abundance.
That includes about 95 acres of oyster bars with more than 400 bags of oysters per acre.
Oyster harvesters will need a commercial Apalachicola Bay Endorsement to commercially harvest oysters from the bay.
The state will also create an Apalachicola Bay Recreational Opportunity Permit for recreational harvesters who will be selected through a lottery process.
The workshops will gather feedback on licensing requirements for fishery participants, bag limits and seasons.
It will also cover tolerances for undersized attached and unattached oysters, enforcement of undersized oysters in a certified oyster house, and authorized landing locations.
The workshops will be held on Tuesday, September 30th at the Franklin County Courthouse Annex in Apalachicola and on October 7th at the Chapman Auditorium.
Both meetings will run from 6 till 8 PM.
The FWC is moving forward on a plan that should reopen the Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting in a very limited capacity beginning in January.
The Bay has been closed to wild oyster harvest since 2020 after the local oyster population collapsed in 2013.
The reopening plan would allow a limited amount of commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in January and February, with a longer fall harvest beginning in October, 2026.
Oyster harvesting will only be allowed on specific oyster bars that meet a minimum threshold of oyster abundance.
That includes about 95 acres of oyster bars with more than 400 bags of oysters per acre.
Oyster harvesters will need a commercial Apalachicola Bay Endorsement to commercially harvest oysters from the bay.
The state will also create an Apalachicola Bay Recreational Opportunity Permit for recreational harvesters who will be selected through a lottery process.
The workshops will gather feedback on licensing requirements for fishery participants, bag limits and seasons.
It will also cover tolerances for undersized attached and unattached oysters, enforcement of undersized oysters in a certified oyster house, and authorized landing locations.
The workshops will be held on Tuesday, September 30th at the Franklin County Courthouse Annex in Apalachicola and on October 7th at the Chapman Auditorium.
Both meetings will run from 6 till 8 PM.
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