The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold a virtual meeting on October the 7th and 8th where they will approve final action on a moratorium on oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold a virtual meeting on October the 7^th and 8^th where they will approve final action on a moratorium on oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay.

The moratorium began on August the 1^st but the final rule has not yet been approved.

The moratorium was approved in an effort to help restore the wild oyster population in the Bay.

The rule also prohibits the possession of oyster tongs or other oyster harvesting equipment on the water.

The rule does not affect perpetual leases or aquaculture.

There is a five-year sunset provision in the rule, but if monitoring finds at least 300 bags of harvestable-sized oysters in a significant portion of the Bay, the bay could reopen sooner.

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. 

The dockside value of wild oysters harvested from Apalachicola Bay has declined by 98 percent since 2012.

The hearing on the final rule will be held on Wednesday, October the 7^th – public comment will be allowed for one hour.

The meeting will be broadcast via Adobe Connect and the Florida Channel.

Public comments will be accepted through a comment form or mail in advance of the meeting or through a call-in number during the meeting.

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