FWC busts oystermen with 3000 pounds of illegal oysters

FWC arrested 2 men last week for harvesting oysters at night off the summer bars.

The officers were working off a tip they received about night oystering.

While on patrol in Apalachicola, the officers noticed a utility vehicle near the water’s edge loaded with 22 bags of oysters.

They also noticed two individuals hiding in the bushes next to the vehicle.

An inspection of the vehicle and vessel at the location revealed a total of nearly 3000 pounds of oysters.

The bags of oysters were untagged and unculled.

Also, both individuals admitted to harvesting the oysters from conditionally approved summer bars and that they had caught most of the oysters late in the afternoon and then brought the bags into Two Mile Channel, concealing them in an area behind a locked gate until they could bring them to their vehicle.

The two men were cited for untagged oysters, harvesting between sunset and sunrise, and failure to deliver shellfish directly to a certified dealer. 

The oysters were returned to the bay.

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