The summer oyster harvesting areas of the bay are open today.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Thursday that the summer oyster-harvesting areas in the Apalachicola Bay System opened at 12:01 this morning - 11 days early.
The summer oyster areas in Apalachicola Bay normally open for harvest on June the 1st. That means harvesters can work the summer and winter bars through May the 31st when the winter bars will close for the season.
This is the first time the two agencies, which jointly manage oyster resources in Florida, have opened the summer area early.
Requests for this early harvest were received from the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners, the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association and the Apalachicola Bay Oyster Dealers Association.
Staff of both agencies will continue to closely monitor Apalachicola Bay water quality, oyster harvest, oyster handling and oyster processing to ensure oyster resources are protected and are safe to consume.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles said the action should be viewed by the people of Florida and the United States that Gulf of Mexico seafood in restaurants and markets is safe. He added that “With demand for safe Gulf oysters at a peak, this action will benefit both our oyster industry and consumers alike.”
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