The beleaguered oysters at the heart of a decadeslong interstate water rights dispute can’t be harvested for the next five years, under new Florida regulations taking effect while the state awaits a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved draft regulations to suspend all wild oyster harvests in Apalachicola Bay through Dec. 31, 2025. A final decision will come in October, but the commission directed staff to proactively enforce the suspension starting Aug. 1.
Florida and the oyster industry want the Supreme Court to cap water usage by Georgia business and agricultural ...