Oystermen who work in the Apalachicola Bay continue to face strict harvesting rules through the summer season in an effort to rebuild the oyster population.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission said several oyster conservation measures will continue through the summer harvest season which began June 1st and ends August 31st.
The summer restrictions including a ban on Commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in areas north of the Apalachicola Bridge.
Oystermen will also not be able to Harvest or possess oysters from the Hotel Bar Experimental Area.
East Hole will also be closed through the summer season.
The Daily bag limit is 5 gallons of oysters in the shell per person or vessel, whichever is less.
Commercial and recreational oyster harvesting will be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 1st through August 31st.
These rules have been in place since the fall of 2014 in an effort to help the Apalachicola Bay oyster population recover from the effects of low river flow.
Apalachicola Bay oyster populations have significantly declined in recent years due to lack of sufficient freshwater flows in the Apalachicola River.
The FWC will continue to assess the health of the bay through the summer season to make sure this resource is properly managed.
http://live.oysterradio.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment