The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) needs public input on the Gulf County (including St. Joseph Bay) bay scallop season dates for 2020 and future years. This area’s scallop population was negatively impacted by a red tide event in 2015. Since then, FWC has been working with the community to set seasons each year that balance scalloping opportunities with the continued recovery of the scallop population. The FWC has also been working with other communities to create long-term season dates across all the areas open to scalloping that meet the needs of different areas. Through this process, the Commission set a long-term season for Gulf County in May as a placeholder in the regulations but directed staff to work with the public to determine if modifications to this season are needed while continuing to evaluate the ongoing restoration and recovery of the St. Joseph Bay scallop population.
Share your input about the future timing of the Gulf County bay scallop season at an in-person workshop starting at 5:30 p.m. (EST) Nov. 14, in Port St. Joe at the Gulf County Public Library, 110 Library Drive.
For updates and to learn more about these workshops, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Rulemaking,” and “Upcoming Public Workshops.”