Riverkeeper Georgia Ackerman Talks Proposal Banning Wild Oyster Harvesting In Apalachicola Bay

WFSU

Published October 13, 2020 at 9:55 AM CDT

A freshly harvested Apalachicola Bay oyster is displayed, Thursday, March 27, 2008, in Eastpoint, Fla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation will shut down wild oyster harvesting for as long as five years. The Commissioners hope that the pause and $20 million in restoration and monitoring, will restore a portion of the oyster fishery. (AP Photo/Phil Coale, File)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently postponed making a final rule on its proposal to ban wild oyster harvesting in the Apalachicola Bay until 2025. The agency has approved draft rules, and a temporary order is in place banning wild oyster harvesting in the bay.

Should they finalize the rule, Apalachicola Riverkeeper Georgia Ackerman says the FWC’s decision will be a tough one – but the right one. Ackerman recently spoke with WFSU’s Ryan Dailey.

Questions:

What led to the FWC considering this proposal in the Apalachicola Bay?

The Riverkeeper’s position on the FWC making this move is, in the organization’s words: “A tough decision, but the right decision.” Tell me more about that.

It sounds like the FWC setting aside this time is a means of allowing the bay’s oyster population to rebound – do you agree with that strategy?

Join WFSU and partners on October 20, 2020 at 7 pm ET for a virtual screening and discussion about the future of the Apalachicola River and the Forgotten Coast. Register: wfsu.org/ageofnature