Shellfish aquaculture leases for clam production are limited to the use of the bottom and six inches above the bottom for culture activities. To farm oysters, leases must be modified to accommodate off-bottom culture activities. Meetings were held in November by the DACS Division of Aquaculture and UF Shellfish Aquaculture Extension Program to identify leaseholders in Levy and Dixie Counties who are interested in oyster culture and to assist them with the lease modification process. Requests to modify leases will be grouped together to facilitate the federal permitting process required by the Army Corps of Engineers and to minimize marking costs associated with private aids to navigation required by the Coast Guard. Informational materials from these meetings are posted to the Oyster Culture section. For further information, contact Portia Sapp, Division bureau chief, at (850) 671-7622 (phone) or Portia.Sapp@FreshfromFlorida.com (email).
