St. Joe Scalloping

[Scoop Sea]

I heard St. Joe will be opened up for scalloping although previously the regulators said they were gonna have it closed this season. I heard it from a solid source, anyone hear anything like this?

[silverking]

Don't know about your source Scoop. The FWC held a series of workshops and looked at more survey data. A staff presentation will be made Thursday, 6/23, at the commission meeting in Apalachicola and a final decision will likely be made at that time since it's right before season opening.

http://www.myfwc.com/about/commission/c ... 22/agenda/

[Scoop Sea]

Hey SilverKing:

My source is pretty tight. They are advising the season may be modified in St. Joe but there will be a season over there. As you noted, this is supposed to come out of Thursday's meeting. We will see what happens. I don't scallop over there any more, but I would like the pressure taken off of our neck of the woods if that happens.

[Mister Mullet]

Unfortunately, their decision will come after my deadline, so don't expect any info in Friday's fishing column. I might be able to put something in the online version. To be safe, I'd save the gas and stay close to home. Next week we'll have a better idea of what's what.

[bass3769]

just received this info in my email:


Bay scallop conservation measures approved for St. Joe Bay
At the June 23 meeting near Apalachicola, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved measures to conserve bay scallops in the St. Joseph Bay area. The measures include delaying and shortening the recreational bay scallop season so it will open Aug. 22, run through Sept. 5, 2016 (Labor Day), and will close to harvest Sept. 6, as well as changing the daily bag limit to 40 scallops per person or 200 per vessel, whichever is less, in all waters west of St. Vincent Island through the west bank of Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County.
Ongoing research and monitoring results indicate bay scallops in Gulf County were negatively impacted during a 2015 red tide event in the area. There has not been any red tide observed in the bay since January, and areas east of Gulf County do not appear to have been impacted.
The FWC has been working closely with Gulf County in a coordinated and cooperative effort to minimize negative impacts associated with potential low scallop numbers this summer. The FWC will continue monitoring the bay, and is currently conducting restoration efforts. FWC researchers have already collected 650 scallops and placed them in cages in the bay to help promote spawning, and will continue to collect more scallops for restoration purposes. Caged scallops will be marked. Tampering with or scalloping in areas near cages that are marked with no scalloping signage is prohibited.
In areas east of the western point of St. Vincent Island through the Pasco-Hernando county line, the 2016 bay scallop season will open June 25 through Sept. 24, closing Sept. 25 and the bag limit remains 2 gallons of whole bay scallops or 1 pint of meat per person, per day, with a vessel limit of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops or a half-gallon of meat. Areas west of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County are closed to bay scallop harvest.
Scallops may be collected by hand or with a landing or dip net, and must be landed within the area that is open to harvest.
There is no commercial harvest allowed for bay scallops in Florida.
Be safe when diving for scallops. Stay within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down warning device (flag, buoy, etc.) when scalloping in open water and within 100 feet of a properly displayed divers-down warning device if on a river, inlet or navigation channel. Boat operators traveling within 300 feet of a divers-down warning device in open water or 100 feet of one on a river, inlet or navigational channel must slow to idle speed. Learn more about divers down warning devices at MyFWC.com/Boating by clicking on “Regulations.”
Help FWC’s scallop researchers by completing an online survey at http://svy.mk/bayscallops. Harvesters can indicate where they harvest scallops, how many they collect and how long it takes to harvest them. Participants can email BayScallops@MyFWC.com to ask questions or send additional information.
Learn more about long-term trends in the open and closed scalloping areas by visiting MyFWC.com/Research and clicking on “Saltwater,” “Mollusc,” “Bay Scallops” and “Season.”
For regulation updates, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops.”

[bman]

40 is not enough to go to St Joe- at least not for me.

[Scoop Sea]

I agree BMan, 40 scallops sure isn't worth going to St. Joe. I don't think this will take any pressure off of our area.

[bbb]

Since it won't open til Aug 22, the scallops will be bigger, so 40 from St Joe will probably be equal to 100 at St Marks this weekend.

[Mdnght_Wlf]

I agree 40 is not enough to make a run west, but I have plenty of friends from Panama City who are disappointed the season has been cut short. Hopefully this decision is in the best decision to the fishery, as I know it will have an impact on the economy.