Seafood's Our Middle Name

Apalachicola Bay is one of the most productive estuarine systems on the world.  The nutrient-rich Apalachicola Chattachoochee-Flint river system initiates  the complex network of food chains in our bay.  The environmental conditions present make it the perfect feeding, breeding and nursery ground for an abundance of tasty animals, hence our world famous seafood industry. 

First and foremost are Apalachicola Bay oysters. Very few will dispute that they are the finest tasting in the world. On an average the annual commercial harvest produces enough oyster meat to cover a football field three feet deep. Currently only 5 percent of the bay bottom produces oysters. Research has shown that by making use of unproductive bay bottom by planting shell and aquaculture efforts that we could produce at least 25 times as many oysters as we do now.

Second, but equally important is the shrimping industry. Since 1955, the Gulf of Mexico as a whole has shown a decreasing trend in shrimp harvest while Apalachicola Bay catches have remained relatively stable. This is mainly due to the protection of the salt marsh nursery grounds in East Bay through State purchasing of these areas.

There are three major types of shrimp harvested from the waters in and around Apalachicola Bay; white, brown and pink shrimp. Apalachicola Bay shrimpers average more than a million pounds per year, nearly 20% of the State's shrimp supply.

Inshore shrimper fishermen generally use a small bay boat, less than 38 feet. Shrimpers fish by day or night depending on the time of year and the habits of the species sought. Offshore shrimpers use larger boats, 72-90 feet; the shrimp are flash frozen, since the boats may be out for 10 days to two weeks or longer.

An active blue crab industry also exists in Apalachicola Bay. Franklin County produces nearly 10 percent of the hard-shell blue crabs landed in Florida. Blue crabs, both hard-shell and soft-shell or "peelers" are typically harvested inshore in the estuary. Crabs are harvested daily; the legal crabs (5 inches from point to point on the carapace) are measured visually or with a grading frame. Live crabs are sold whole or in cooked form as lump or "special" crab meat which is from the body of the crab or cocktail or claw meat from the claws in one and five pound containers.

Commercial fish species harvested in the bay include mullet, flounder, pompano and shark.

Because  more than 95 percent of commercial seafood species caught in the Gulf of Mexico have to spend part of their lives in an estuary, protection of Apalachicola Bay is a must. Through the purchase of state lands in the important Apalachicola River floodplain and the salt marshes of the bay, and proper land use controls, Apalachicola Bay can continue to have a productive seafood industry.

Apalachicola Bay oysters are among the most delectable and nutritious seafood in the world. And, as such, they're pretty important to Franklin County.

In 1992, $2.6 million worth of oysters were shucked in Franklin County seafood houses, according to State Marine Fisheries statistics  (That's 1.8 million pounds of oyster meat!) Historically, Franklin County harvests more than 90 percent of Florida's oysters and 10 percent of the nationwide supply. Within the County, oysters make up more than one third the value of commercial marine landings.

Florida's Gulf Coast oyster industry is based on the highly preferred "American" or "Eastern" oyster, also known by its scientific name Crassostrea virginica. This species is the principle oyster harvested commercially along both the Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern Seaboard, and can be found from Canada to Campeche.

Like all oysters,  Apalachicola Bay oysters are mollusks; their soft bodies are protected by two shells, or valves, so they are also called bivalves. They are tolerant and hardy creatures which can endure a myriad of environmental conditions.

Apalachicola Bay, including the waters of St. George Sound and St. Vincent Sound, provides an ideal environment for oysters.   The 210 square mile estuary is wide and shallow; depths in Apalachicola Bay average only six to nine feet at low tide. The estuary is dominated by the Apalachicola River which provides nutrient rich fresh waters vital to the Bay's natural productivity. Oysters grow rapidly (the fastest in the country) in these waters reaching marketable size in less than two years.

Oystermen harvest oysters in Franklin County from more than 7,000 acres of public oyster "bars" and about 600 acres of private leased bars in the Apalachicola Bay area. Public bars are divided into "winter" bars which can be harvested from Oct. 1 through June 30 each year and the "summer bars" which are harvested from July 1 through September 30.

     There are more than 1,000 people employed by the oyster industry in Franklin County. And there are a variety of jobs associated with harvesting the mollusk. Tongers (traditionally called "oystermen") harvest the oysters from small boats using tongs which look somewhat like two rakes attached in a scissor style. Tongers generally use a small wooden boat, 20-23 feet long, equipped with a culling board near the bow and sometimes equipped with a "dog house" or small covered area to provide shelter from bad weathers. Tongers are accompanied usually by "cullers" who separate the oysters by size (oysters must be at least three inches in length to be considered legally harvestable). Out on the bay, oysters are stored in burlap sack and shaded until they reach the shore. On the shore, seafood houses employ "housemen"  who sort  the oysters and package them for sale either in bags or boxes or pass them onto shuckers where they will be shucked, washed and sold generally either in  pints or gallons.

     Most oystermen harvest oysters year round - although traditionally oyster harvesting slacks off during the summer and fall months due to time spent targeting other species or other work. When the Bay is open, oystermen harvest the oyster bars during the week and are allowed to harvest up to 20 bags per day, although specific restrictions on harvest days and catch limits are sometimes imposed based on bay conditions. Each 60-pound bag of oysters contains an average of 6.5 pounds of shucked meat. Under current rules, non-commercial individuals are allowed to harvest one bag of oysters per person per day for non-commercial purposes.

     The harvest, sale and transportation of oysters in Franklin County today are governed by rules adopted by the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission (FMFC) and administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The oyster industry is also subject to a myriad of state and federal health and sanitation laws designed to protect the consumer.     Over the years, the state has instituted various programs to help sustain the oyster industry during hard times. As early as 1949, the state was involved in restocking oyster shell into the bay to create new oyster bars. It is estimated that 750 acres of bars have been constructed since then. Today, replanting programs move small intertidal oysters (coon oysters) to areas more conducive to better growth and also move oysters from unharvestable areas into open harvesting areas.

     Oysters, when prepared properly, can  provide a wealth of nutrients. Oysters are, in fact, one of nature's richest sources of iron. Additionally, oysters are very high in calcium and vitamin A. Oysters are very low in calories with one dozen raw oysters containing approximately 110 calories. As healthful as they are, officials do advise caution to consumers about eating raw oysters. As in any raw animal protein, there is risk associated with consuming raw oysters. If consumers have chronic illness of the liver, stomach or blood or have immune disorders, they are at greater risk of serious illness from raw oysters and should eat oysters fully cooked.