Apalachicola Bay to reopen for wild oyster harvesting

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(The Center Square) — Florida is reopening Apalachicola Bay for limited oyster farming, with strict regulations and an estimated annual price tag of up to $55 million to meet its goals of restoring the area.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unanimously voted this week to reopen the bay after a five-year closure sparked by severely depleted oyster resources and habitat loss.

The Commission also adopted a revised oyster management plan that includes limits on harvesting and new permit requirements. Recreational harvesters will be selected through a lottery, and a Commercial Apalachicola Bay Endorsement is required to commercially harvest oysters from the bay.

Only about 10% of its original 10,000 acres will open for harvesting on Jan. 1, and the initial season will only be open through Feb. 28.

Apalachicola Bay has seen a 95% decline in suitable potential oyster habitat, according to a report by the Division of Marine Fisheries Management. It’s estimated only 500 acres are suitable now.

Before the decline, nearly half of Franklin County’s income came from oyster harvesting revenue, according to a 2023 report by the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Community Advisory Board.

In the past, commercial fishing in Apalachicola Bay generated about $134 million in annual economic output, plus $71 million in value-added benefits, the report said. The oyster industry accounted for up to $30 million in annual economic benefits.

Apalachicola Bay has historically played a crucial role in the oyster industry, with 90% of the state’s commercial landings and 10% of commercially harvested wild oysters in the U.S. coming from the bay, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries Management report.

The state's goal is to restore 2,000 acres by 2032 and re-establish oyster fishery with a long-term cultching program, a process of providing hard surfaces like recycled oyster shells to encourage larvae to attach and grow. This is estimated to cost between $30 million and $55 million annually. 

Approximately 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been lost as of 2008, according to the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative Community Advisory Board report.

Despite increased regulations and restoration efforts, all U.S. Gulf states reported depleted oyster resources in 2023, with Florida estuaries losing 80 to 90% of their oyster reefs, the report said.