Posted on 07/16/2020 8:14:07 AM PDT by Jacquerie
One of our greatest Florida foods is about to be put off-limits for five years.
I am talking about Apalachicola oysters, those sweet and salty mollusks that are best served raw on the half-shell with a little lemon juice. There was a time when nine out of every 10 oysters eaten in Florida came from Apalachicola Bay, and one out of every 10 across the U.S. – but not anymore.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is scheduled to vote next week on banning the harvest of wild oysters from Apalachicola Bay starting Aug. 1 and continuing through 2025.
When I heard about this, I was stunned.
The first raw oysters I ever ate, in Pensacola’s Marina Oyster Barn, were Apalachicola oysters. The last ones I ate, at a now-closed Apalachicola seafood joint called Boss Oyster, were fresh from Apalachicola Bay. The thought of going without them for five years is hard to swallow.
People in Apalachicola have been harvesting the bounty of their bay since the 1800s. Some families count four or five generations of oystermen among their ancestors.
Between oystermen, local restaurant shuckers and cannery workers, the industry supported more than 2,500 jobs The humble oyster has become fused with the town’s identity, to the point where the sides of Franklin County Sheriff’s Department cruisers carry the slogan “Oyster Capital of the World.”
Food critics and restaurant owners from Miami and New Orleans say Apalachicola Bay oysters are among the finest in the world, if not the finest, the New York Times reported in 2002. Chefs of fancy restaurants in Charleston, S.C., where mediocre seafood will be sent back, prize them above oysters from their native coast.
What made the oyster so plentiful and succulent was the delicate balance of salty Gulf of Mexico water and freshwater flowing out of the Apalachicola River and, to a lesser extent, Tate’s Hell Swamp. But then the river flow began drying up.
A drought that began in 2010 and lasted through 2012, combined with increased usage of water far upstream to serve the growing population of Atlanta, limited the freshwater getting to the bay. That altered the balance and limited the growth of new oysters to replace the ones harvested. A decade later, some reefs “have become so degraded that there is little-to-no shell material left,” a wildlife commission report says.
The saltier water also brought in predators called oyster drills, a marine snail that attacked the bay’s oysters so that young ones didn’t live long enough to mature.
The industry relies on wild oysters? They don't farm in Apalachicola Bay?
Oysters are what is referred to as an “acquired taste”
I ate my first fresh oysters at a bar in Clearwater, in 1972 at 10 cents each.
After about 4 dozen, I got a little queasy.
They were bringing the boats right to the dock at the back of the restaurant, but it's been years and I can't remember the name of the joint.
It was not fancy, but all of the seafood was terrific.
That sounds like the ‘Marylanders Grow Oysters’ program:
http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/MGO/index.aspx
Similar I guess, but these are for personal consumption. I know the ones my friend gets are sterile.
Dang! I have many fond memories of outstanding bass fishing on Lakes Seminole and Eufaula (George) back in the 70's, 80's, & 90's...
Would hate to think that that is gone now...
Such great memories.
Such great memories.
Yes, there is at least one oyster farm. I don’t know enough about the industry as to how they deal with predators. But overall, the industry relied on wild oysters. The nature of Apalachicola Bay, it’s single tributary, generally avoids the problems of the Chesapeake watershed. Anyway, we can hopefully expect the number of farms to explode.
From the early 70s I remember shanty Oyster Bars along HWY 98 leading to Apalach. They served fresh oysters, saltine crackers, hot sauce and Budweiser beer. The cost was minimal.
Yes, I remember those too! The oyster shanties dotted the road. I am a sentimental girl, and I love what I like to call “Old Florida”. It’s not quite that way these days, except in spots. Like you said in your earlier post, such great memories!
The ban applies to WILD oysters. An opportunity for oyster farming.
Aw, shucks.
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