FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – In December 2020, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission closed Apalachicola Bay to oystering for 5 years, in an effort to restore the oyster beds. That moratorium ends in December.
Now, the FWC is trying to decide how much of the bay will reopen to oystering. They held the first of a series of public meetings on the issue, Tuesday in Apalachicola.
They conducted a survey, asking participants how they should monitor and regulate oyster harvesting. One regulation could limit how many people can participate in oyster harvesting.
“My strongest concern is if they have limited licenses that they give it to the people who are going to pass that skill down to generations that come next,” Water is Life Oyster Farmers Owner Xochitl Bervera said.
The FWC’s proposed goal is to restore 2,000 acres of oyster habitat by 2032 through a long-term cultching program. They place cultch materials like old oyster shells in the bay for baby oysters to attach and grow.
During the bay’s closure, the FWC has conducted pilot studies that have shown signs of regrowth. But oystermen say the FWC’s efforts are not sustainable for large-scale restoration.
“What FWC is using all amateur pilot studies right now. And if they use that for large-scale restoration, it’s going to cause a lot of problems. It’s not going to grow a marketable oyster like smaller material would,” Seafood Work and Waterman’s Association President Wayne Williams said.
The FWC says the bay hasn’t recovered since its collapse in 2013. But oystermen say they just want the bay to reopen.
“We just want to get the bay back open without being regulated. And our license being limited. There’s other ways to control the amount of oysters that comes out of our bay through bag limits and work bays and open and closed status,” Williams said.
FWC members say they want to keep some areas of the bay closed to conduct more restoration efforts. They’re considering reopening 3 oyster beds, which is about more than 38acres of Apalachicola Bay.
The FWC is completing 4 more public workshops and 2 virtual meetings to receive feedback from cities across Florida. Their recommendation will come at their August 2025 commission meeting.
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