The Florida Fish and wildlife Conservation Commission will consider a proposal later this month to suspend wild oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay till 2025

The Florida Fish and wildlife Conservation Commission will consider a proposal later this month to suspend wild oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay till 2025.

The Apalachicola Bay once produced 90% of Florida’s commercial oyster harvest.

The oyster industry in Apalachicola collapsed in 2012 leading to a Commercial Fisheries Disaster Declaration from the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2013. 

Since then there have been numerous studies done on how to rebuild the wild oyster population while letting oystermen continue to try and make a living.

One of the studies is an 8 million dollars, 10 year effort to try to figure out what factors are actually damaging the oysters followed by the creation of a scientific plan to restore the bay.

The FWC will hear updates on ongoing and future restoration efforts, but will also propose a draft rule to suspend wild oyster harvest in Apalachicola Bay through December 31st, 2025.

The proposal does not call for a permanent closure and does not affect perpetual leases or aquaculture.

The Commission will discuss the issue when they hold their meeting On July the 22^nd and 23^rd.

The meeting will be done on-line so local people will be able to comment.

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