Welcome to the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce. "So we're not bound to a five-year timeframe.". Mother Nature will make it come back when … Hopefully they will see some improvement, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Apalachicola oyster bars continued to decline. Horseshoe Beach in Dixie County through Homosassa Springs in Citrus County . St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County through Wakulla County. Yet what’s left of Apalachicola’s oyster harvesting industry supports this move. Page Transparency See More. "On both sides of my families, our livelihood has always been on this water," he says recalling how there used to be hundreds of oyster boats on Apalachicola Bay. Read more . hide caption. The Apalachicola Bay ecosystem, considered quintessential Florida, is in ruin. Since, he's fished for other species and worked ecological jobs trying to improve the bay but admits it's been a struggle to support his family. FWC closed Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting after years of drought and other pressures devastated wild oyster bars. Real homes. "Apalachicola Bay does not need to be closed," says commercial fisher Wayne Williams from East Point, Fla. "Mother Nature will make it come back when conditions get right." Some contend it should have happened sooner. Hartsfield, 51, is a fourth generation seafood worker in Franklin County. Discover genuine guest reviews for Apalachicola Bay Inn along with the latest prices and availability – book now. Closed when Apalachicola River discharge measured two days prior at Blountstown, Florida, exceeds 39,706 cubic feet per second (= stage of 15.65 feet). But he was persuaded to support the ban because of benchmarks in the rule that will allow the bay to reopen sooner if oyster populations rebound. Daily Open/Closed Status of Shellfish Harvest Areas for the Central Gulf: From St. Joe Bay in … Good drinks. APALACHICOLA, Fla. (WJHG) - For nearly a decade, calls have grown to close the Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting to try and save the oyster population of the bay, which is near collapse. The Forgotten Coast is the place where your dream home becomes your real home. An emergency order was issued after seeing a decrease in oysters in the area. The bay has been closed to oyster harvesting since Aug. 1. Read more . The FWC voted unanimously Wednesday for the closure what will deal a blow to the area. Apalachicola Bay oysters, sweet and salty mollusks best served raw on the half-shell with a little lemon juice, ... “If the bay is not closed, any oysters that appear will quickly be harvested. The Apalachicola Bay ecosystem, ... Conservation Commission has partnered with researchers to conduct a major restoration project when the fishery is closed. Popular attractions John Gorrie State Museum and Orman House Historic State Park are located nearby. The decision goes in hand with a $20 million project to restore the Apalachicola Bay oyster bed, which reportedly once produced about 90% of the states wild oysters. For decades, if you ordered oysters on the half-shell on the eastern Gulf coast, they most likely came from Apalachicola Bay – an estuary in north Florida where freshwater rivers meet the Gulf of Mexico, creating the perfect brackish mix for growing plump, salty oysters. Copyright 2020 WJHG. Sorry to hear that. Williams helped start a petition in protest of the rule change, which he sees as another regulation that will make it harder for fishermen to make a living. Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center 17 Avenue E Apalachicola, Florida 32320 (850) 653-9419 Info@ApalachicolaBay.org Sitemap. The ban could be lifted sooner if the population rebounds. A fishing vessel plying the waters of Apalachicola Bay. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Shannon Hartsfield is the fourth generation in a family of seafood workers. Big Bend Gulf (352) 543-5181 11350 SW 153rd Ct Cedar Key, FL 32625. A fishing vessel plying the waters of Apalachicola Bay. Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, Apalachicola, Florida. "Oysters are indicator species, keystone species," Ackerman says. Apalachicola has over 900 historic homes and buildings listed in its extensive National Register District. Hartsfield hasn't harvested any oysters since 2012, when there was a total collapse of the Apalachicola fishery due to drought. FWC votes to close Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting. Click here for updates on COVID-19. "There's nobody harvesting any oysters right now.". FILE – In this Aug. 13, 2013, file photo, oysters are displayed in Apalachicola, Fla. Because of a dwindling oyster population, a Florida agency is expected to shut down oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay through the end of 2025, dealing a blow to an area that historically produced 90% of the state’s oysters and 10% of the nation’s. Since a 2012 federal fisheries disaster declaration, several state and federal projects have sought to restore the bay but with little lasting success. The coastal communities of Apalachicola, St. George Island and Eastpoint, the heart of the Forgotten Coast, offer an authentic taste of Florida's Gulf Coast. The dockside dollar value of that catch declined 98% over that time period, according to the Florida Division of Marine Fisheries management. The thought of going without them for five years is hard to swallow. Apalachicola oysters, considered a delicacy on the half-shell, used to account for 90% of Florida's oyster harvest. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - An Apalachicola Bay staple is off the plate as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to suspend oyster harvesting for five years. Before 2010, nine out of ten oysters served in Florida came from Apalachicola. Apalachicola Bay Realty Real dreams. and it was selected as one of the nation’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations in 2008 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. And, you want good food. Steven Rash of Water Street Seafood in Apalachicola told commissioners he no longer buys local oysters because he considers them an endangered species that should not be harvested. “The state wildlife commission should have never have opened the bay,” said oysterman Tommy Ward, a fourth generation harvester and processor on the Apalachicola Bay who has shuttered his 13 Mile Brand harvesting operations in favor of buying out of state oysters to process. ", 'Can't survive with that type of rapid loss'. The majority of the FWC funding that is going toward the restoration project will be devoted to rebuilding around 1,000 acres of oyster reef, with nearly $17 million allocated for this portion of the project. Florida is poised to close Apalachicola Bay to oyster harvesting in a board vote slated for July 22. Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center 17 Avenue E Apalachicola, Florida 32320 (850) 653-9419 Info@ApalachicolaBay.org Sitemap The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a plan to suspend wild oyster harvesting in the bay for five years through 2025. Williams helped start a petition in protest of the rule change, which he sees as another regulation that will make it harder for fishermen to make a living. Notices - The one and two bedroom home waiting list is currently CLOSED. The new dietary guidelines don't reflect that. Apalachicola is located in the northwest part of the state, at on Apalachicola Bay and at the mouth of the Apalachicola U.S. Route 98 is the main highway through town, leading east across the bay to Eastpoint and northwest 59 miles (95 km) to Panama City. Apalachicola Bay Closed to Wild Oyster Harvest as of August 1, 2020. Expressing concern about the immediate impact, Noah Lockley, Jr., Chairman of the Franklin County Commission, asked the state to consider some sort of aid or training program for local seafood workers. State officials are poised to stop the harvest of wild oysters in Apalachicola Bay for the next five years. He's seen the iconic Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery collapse. But the Apalachicola Bay oyster population has been declining since 2013 after years of low water flow conditions. Because of a dwindling oyster population, a Florida agency voted unanimously Wednesday to shut down oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay through the end of … The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has unanimously voted to shut down the state's iconic Apalachicola oyster fishery after years of drought and other pressures have devastated wild oyster beds. Now There's Help From Oil Spill Aid Money, Florida Fishing Town On Edge Over Gulf Oil Spill. Debbie Elliott/NPR Florida fisheries regulators say a moratorium on oyster harvesting for up to five years will give wild oyster reefs time to regenerate. by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor . "And if so, never opening back again like it was to begin with.". Apalachicola Bay Closed to Wild Oyster Harvest as of August 1, 2020. All rights reserved. But other oystermen worry closing the bay will be a final devastating blow. Mother Nature will make it come back when conditions get right." 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