Conservation-based Apalachicola Bay oyster harvest changes effective June 1

(Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.) For immediate release: May 30, 2014 Conservation-based Apalachicola Bay oyster harvest changes effective June 1 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made several changes that will be in effect from June 1 through Aug. 31 this year, in Apalachicola Bay in an effort to conserve oyster resources. The FWC has been working with the Franklin County oyster industry to implement these temporary changes. Apalachicola Bay oysters have significantly declined in population due to lack of fresh water flow in previous years. Changes effective June 1 include: Prohibiting commercial and recreational harvest of oysters in the area commonly known as East Hole; Lowering the daily commercial harvest and possession limit from 20 to eight bags (each bag is equivalent to 60 pounds or two 5-gallon buckets) of oysters in the shell per person; Lowering the daily recreational harvest, vessel and possession limit to five gallons of oysters in the shell (previously two bags per day with one bag being equivalent to 60 pounds or two 5-gallon buckets); Prohibiting commercial oyster harvests on Fridays and Saturdays. All other harvest regulations remain in effect. These changes are intended to help the Apalachicola Bay oyster population recover from the effects of low river flow. Learn more about commercial oyster harvest by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Commercial” and “Oyster.”

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