BigBendFishing.Net

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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AN/DH/JE/MFM
WBD/SCB



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I think the restrictions are warranted, however, I call Shenanigans on the water flow. The last 3 years have been pretty much historical water flows at times. These self serving statements are made to used in the federal suit regarding water rights and they can not undue the ringing of the bell where the bay was declared open season when they thought the BP oil spill would get there.

I am not certain the issue is the water flow either. I think the issue is replenishment of the resource as well as the reduction in size following the oil spill. I believe they reduced the size restriction when the oil spill occurred and have not increased it back up. That allows for a year or so of additional growth, which requires fewer oysters to fill a bag and allows for an added year of spawning. Add to that the fact that fewer beds are being replenished and you have this mess. The Friday and Saturday is a start, but increase the size as well. I would also ask that a day a month the oystermen are to haul spent shells back out to reestablish a hard place for the spat to attach. The three legged stool has lost all three legs. There are more oysters being taken, they are smaller, loose reproduction due to more and earlier harvesting and fewer oysters allows for fewer re-attachment points for the spat.

Low flow is less than 50.5 feet. Could not easily find last few years

I'm no scientist, but in the last three years oystering has been closed 3 times due to too much fresh inflow when I have been in the area. I only get down 2-3 times per year. It was closed 3 weeks previous while we were down over memorial weekend from what the locals told us due to all the rains in April. The numbers in the above charts are during the worst drought period the northern part of the basin has ever seen.

I am not saying the tighter regs are not warranted, I just have a hard time believing it is stream flow, but again, I am no scientist. Maybe the drought years really put a hurting on them and they have not recovered??? I have also heard from some locals that when the oil spill hit and limits were done away with for a period of time, that it had a pretty big impact on the oyster beds.

Little more meat on the bone with this report.

https://www.flseagrant.org/wp-content/u ... report.pdf