Summary
The proposed reclassification of the South Banana River shellfish harvesting area will: a) decrease the size of the Conditionally Approved area by 1,060 acres, from 14,865 acres to 13,805 acres b) increase the size of Conditionally Restricted area by 223 acres, from 9,572 acres to 9,795 acres, and c) increase the size of the Prohibited area by 3,078 acres, from 3,708 acres to 6,786.
The current management of the South Banana River shellfish harvesting area is based on local rainfall. Proposed management of the South Banana River shellfish harvesting area is based on local rainfall. The average closure frequency of South Banana River Conditionally Approved area is expected to decrease 2.5 days per month from 4.5 days per month to 2.0 days per month, and increase for the Conditionally Restricted area by 1.9 days per month from 0.0 to 1.9 days per month.
The proposed reclassification of the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting area will: a) increase the size of the Conditionally Approved area by 316 acres, from 1,225 acres to 1,541 acres b) decrease the size of Conditionally Restricted area by 361 acres, from 675 acres to 314 acres, and c) decrease the size of the Prohibited area by 6 acres, from 49 acres to 43.
The current management of the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting area is based on local rainfall. Proposed management of the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting area is based on local rainfall. The average closure frequency of South St. Johns Conditionally Approved area is expected to decrease 4.7 days per month from 8.0 days per month to 3.3 days per month, and remain the same for the Conditionally Restricted area at 0.0 days per month.
Sanitary surveys have been conducted that evaluated current information on pollution sources and bacteriological water quality, and recommend reclassification of the South Banana River and the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting areas.
These amendments place descriptions, references to shellfish harvesting area map numbers and operating criteria for the South Banana River shellfish harvesting area #79 and the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting area #88 in the document Shellfish Harvesting Area Classification Boundaries and Management Plans. These documents are hereby incorporated in subsection 5L-1.003(1), F.A.C. Additionally, these amendments provide illustrations of the South Banana River and the South St. Johns shellfish harvesting area classification boundaries in the shellfish harvesting area maps #79 and #88. These maps are hereby incorporated by reference in subsection 5L-1.003(1), F.A.C.