- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering partially reopening Apalachicola Bay for wild oyster harvesting after five years of closure.
- Experts, including FSU researcher Dr. Sandra Brooks, are optimistic about the bay’s recovery but emphasize the need for careful management to ensure the fishery remains sustainable.
- Watch the video to hear from those who say why oysters are not only crucial economically but also environmentally.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After five years of being closed, Apalchicola Bay could open back up for oyster harvesting.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering partially opening the Apalachicola Bay for wild oyster harvesting.
The bay collapsed in 2013, and it’s been closed since 2020 to allow the oyster reefs to recover.
“I think the most important thing to me about Apalachicola Bay being open to wild oysters is that it’s managed and respected in a way that allows it to stay open productively," said Dewey Houck who owns Cypress Point Oyster Company.
He says if the fishery can remain healthy, it’s a benefit for this area.
“We need more oysters to take to the market and the more people that can do it whether they’re growing oysters in aquaculture or harvesting wild, if that’s sustainably done, that is all good news for the gulf," said Dr. Sandra Brooks who is a researcher at FSU Coastal and Marine Lab.
She’s been monitoring oyster activity in the bay for years and says she’s optimistic about the health of the fishery.
“We’ve watched the oysters come back, it’s very patchy and it’s not everywhere in the bay, but we have seen an increase especially in the Eastern side of the bay over time," said Dr. Brooks.
If the bay opens up, she hopes that everyone will be cautious.
“It’s going to have to be managed too very carefully, otherwise I think it would be easy to send them back to the same situation they were in 2020,” said Dr. Brooks.
Oysters are not only what drives the economy for Apalachicola and surrounding areas, but they also help the environment. That’s why neighbors like Houck hope it can be utilized in a healthy way.
“If we don’t work really hard to get these fisheries where they’re productive where people can earn their living from it, then we’ve lost both the livelihood and the ability to filter the water," said Houck.
The bay is set to open back up next January.
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