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Florida to reopen bay nationally known for its oysters
The limited reopening follows a 95% habitat decline and aims to restore commercial and recreational oyster harvesting with strict conservation rules, officials said.
- On Wednesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a limited reopening of Apalachicola Bay starting Jan. 1, 2026, ending a five-year closure with a two-month season.
- Officials say decades of reduced freshwater flows, predation, overharvesting, habitat loss and hurricanes caused the 2013 fishery disaster and 2020 closure in Apalachicola Bay.
- A Fish and Wildlife Conservation analysis found only 500 acres of suitable habitat remain, down from 10,000 acres historically, a 95% decline; the bay once supplied more than 90 percent of Florida's oysters and 10 percent of the nation's supply.
- Giving preference to commercial fishermen with a history in the bay, the rules issue recreational permits via lottery to qualifying Florida residents, though some locals worry limits will restrict livelihoods.
- Officials say they will start conservatively to ensure seasons remain open next year and beyond, aiming to restore 2,000 acres by 2032 with up to $55 million annually and $12.5 million plus $5 million in the 2025-2026 budget.
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Associated Press News+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Florida to reopen bay nationally known for its oysters
North Florida’s Apalachicola Bay will soon reopen for wild oyster harvesting. It is a move that supporters hope will breathe life into one of the state's last historic working waterfronts.
·United States
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FWC Approves Reopening of Apalachicola Bay Oyster Harvesting in 2026
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously on Wednesday to reopen Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting beginning January 1, 2026, marking the end of a five-year closure implemented to restore the bay’s oyster population. The decision follows the Commission’s adoption of a revised oyster management plan designed to regulate future harvesting based on oyster abundance and reef health. The 2020 closure, which too…
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Left
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left
L 46%
C 39%
15%
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