Public Oyster Harvesting to Open

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) will open certain areas of public oyster bottoms for weekday harvest during 7 a.m.-2 p.m beginning on October 4. Additionally, weekend harvest will be allowed during 7 a.m.-noon on the following four Saturdays: October 9, 16, 23 and 30. Harvesters can view their locations and open harvest areas with ADCNR’s Oyster Management Station (OMS) Oyster Grid Map. Harvesters should visit the OMS across from Jemison’s Bait and Tackle at 16871 Dauphin Island Parkway to drop off their OMS identification cards and confirm which grids are open for harvest. Heron Bay, Cedar Point East and Cedar Point West grids will open on October 4. Grids will close based on evaluations of the harvest by MRD staff. MRD expects a harvest similar to 2020’s when more than 22,000 sacks of oysters were harvested over 47 days. New this year, recreational oyster catchers must report their catch and purchase a recreational harvest tag at the OMS. All commercial oyster catchers must have a commercial oyster catcher’s license to participate. For information, contact MRD at 251-861-2882 or visit its office at 2 North Iberville Drive on Dauphin Island.