After five years, the state of Florida could soon reopen the Apalachicola Bay to harvesting wild oysters with tongs. While the bay’s been closed, oyster reefs have slowly been regrowing but that's not all—aquaculture oyster farming has been putting down roots there as well. Now, as the state moves forward with its plans to restore the bay, some are questioning what's next for Apalachicola oysters, which once comprised 90 percent of Florida's oyster supply.
[sound of boat stopping]
Xochitl Bervera and Kung Lee are taking their boat out to their aquaculture oyster farm. They lease the space, which is in the Apalachicola Bay, from the state. Bervera says they grow the oysters from so-called seeds.
“They’re about the size of your fingernail when they start," she said. "And so, about 75,000 fit into 5 or 6 bags. And then they grow and grow, and each time you start moving them into bigger bags with bigger holes so they can eat more, and you end up with bags of full size, market-ready oysters, about 100 per bag.”
On this day they’re pulling plastic mesh bags filled with growing oysters out of the water and onto their boat to sort.
[sound of tapping on oysters] “That’s a dead one.” [more tapping] “That’s dead.” [more tapping] “That’s a live one."
The oysters are in cages made of lattices that bob on the surface of the water. Different-sized oysters are in different containers, from youngest to most mature.
[oyster shell noises]
Oyster farming has become more common as the traditional work of wild harvesting has declined along with the area’s oyster population. In 2013, the federal government declared the bay a fishery disaster, citing drought.
Many people point to additional reasons for the bay’s woes. Dredging, hurricanes, the water distribution wars with Georgia and Alabama, the 2010 BP oil spill, and overharvesting amid fears of that oil reaching the bay. Not everyone agrees on all of it. In the end, with fewer oysters left in the bay, fewer people made a living from the time-honored tradition of wild oyster harvesting. And slowly, families who had been tonging for generations left the business. In 2020 the state closed the bay to wild harvesting altogether.
Now, five years later, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved a management plan for a partial re-opening for wild oyster harvesting. It’s set to start at the beginning of January and run through February, then pick up again with a normal fall season starting next October.
“There’s a lot of oysters, but it’s not as good as it was," says Wayne Williams. "We don’t have 10,000 acres like we used to. The areas that are growing oysters, which is mostly on the restoration sites, is really good. And we’re going to have to take it easy, you know, for starts, until things start getting better.”
Williams is president of the Seafood Work and Waterman’s Association, which started in 2020 – when the bay was closed. He’s a wild-caught oysterman by trade but has been doing yard work until he can get back out on the water again. Williams was against closing the bay. Now he’s wary of the FWC’s proposal, which could limit the number of wild-caught oystermen in various ways.
“We do not want a limited-entry license," Williams said. "We do not want lotteries. It’s just so easy to open this bay to a low bag limit and let everyone go.”
Cheryl Carr, treasurer of the Seafood Work and Waterman’s Association, worries if the FWC doesn't fully re-open the bay, the few remaining wild-oyster harvesters will have to move on, and she’s worried their traditions will go with them.
“The fathers teaching the sons what the boats and those stories that you could ever hear on those boats you’ll never hear again," she said, "because they’re trying to just limit those folks to just a few.”
Carr says traditional oystermen can't make a living if they’re only allowed to harvest in small parts of the bay.
“They need something," she said. "They can’t just keep living like this.”
But some environmentalists see it differently. They worry opening the bay to too many wild harvesters could stall the recovery that’s been underway. Cameron Baxley serves as the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. Her job is advocating for the river and bay.
“There’s not a ton of oysters out there, from what I’ve seen in the data," Baxley said. "So, for me, I kind of feel it’s like inviting your whole family over for Christmas dinner and splitting a 10-piece chicken nugget meal. You’ve got to be really careful about how you share everything.”
The FWC says it will keep trying to restore Apalachicola Bay. They’ll meet again in November to make a final decision on the re-opening.
