Alabama oyster reefs have reopened

High water in January shut down the oyster season in Alabama. On Feb. 4, oyster catchers were cleared to resume harvesting by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). It’s good news considering whether Alabama’s oyster reefs would open at all. Cedar Point West, west of the Dauphin Island bridge and Cedar Point Pier, opened to commercial and recreational harvesters. The commercial limit is six sacks. Oyster catchers “found a pretty sizeable area of harvestable oysters,” said Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) Director Scott Bannon. Oyster harvesting had shut down due to a lack of legal-size oysters on the traditional reefs. A harvestable oyster is three (3) inches across its widest point. Cedar Point West, Cedar Point East and Heron Bay reefs were “as productive or more productive than we anticipated,” said Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) Director Scott Bannon. The demand for oysters was related to high-water events last year that closed oyster production in Louisiana and Mississippi that “pretty much decimated the oysters in Mississippi and caused significant damage in Louisiana,” he said. Alabama is on a different river system and didn’t have the same high-water events. Part of the reason Alabama has harvestable oysters again is because environmental conditions have improved, Bannon said. However, some of the oyster reefs in Mobile Bay have “not rebounded to the levels they would like to see, but MRD is working to remedy that, he concluded. (Source: Yellowhammer 02/08/20) https://yellowhammernews.com/plan-to-extend-jones-valley-trail-excites-birmingham-walkers-bicyclists/