Florida Wildlife Officials Ban Oyster Harvesting in Apalachicola Bay for Five Years
Commercial fishers harvest oysters with tongs on Apalachicola Bay in Florida. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) At a Glance Apalachicola's oyster industry collapsed in 2013, and the number of oysters harvested each year plummeted.An executive order suspends oyster harvesting effective Aug. 1.Apalachicola Bay's oyster industry once supported more than 2,500 jobs. Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has unanimously approved a five-year ban on wild oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay. Commissioners gave first approval to the proposal aimed at...