Franklin county opposes aquaculture plan

            The Department of Agriculture is moving forward with a plan to expand oyster aquaculture in the Apalachicola bay.

County director of Administrative Services Alan Pierce informed the county on Tuesday that that the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has sent notice that it is seeking approval from the Governor and Cabinet to re-establish 4 aquaculture lease areas that were surveyed in 1990.

The 4 sites are 40 acres at Nine Mile, 44 acres at Four Mile, 46 acres in the St. George Island Aquaculture Use Zone and 72 acres in the HWY 65 Aquaculture Use Zone.

The sites will be resurveyed and delineated into 2 acre parcels.

All of the sites were once designated for aquaculture but were never used.

The state plans on allowing Full use of the water column if the sites are approved for oyster farming.

The plan is not sitting well with county commissioners.

They are also concerned about the impacts opening the entire water column to aquaculture will have not only to boaters, but on other recreational and commercial fish harvesting including flounder and mullet.

Seafood workers have raised concerns about the safety of the oysters during the warm summer months when Vibrio becomes a bigger issue.

County commissioners, however, have very little say on the issue – regulation of the Bay tends to fall to the state.

Commissioners have agreed to send a letter and resolution to the governor and cabinet opposing the project and asking that the cabinet withhold approval until their concerns are addressed.

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