Oyster Season Opens October 12

Following an encouraging 2019-2020 wild oyster season, Alabama officials have announced an earlier start for an upcoming harvest they hope will build on the strong 2019-2020 season, AL.com recently reported. Following surveys to check whether Hurricane Sally damaged Mobile Bay reefs, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) set October 12 as the first day of the season, with no end date specified. Scott Bannon, director of ADCNR’s Marine Resources Division, explained, “We still have some concerns about the hurricane’s impact on the bottoms, but sample trips after Sally made landfall leave us feeling optimistic that catchers could have a better season than in recent years,” adding, “It’s not a normal year. I may not know what normal is, but I know this is abnormal.” ADCNR hasn’t specified a projected end date for the season. It also hasn’t ruled out opening additional zones. Decisions will be based on evaluations by Marine Resources Division staff.