INDUSTRY COLLAPSE As drought and contamination depleted natural oyster production, demand remained high for Apalachicola oysters. Some locals and outsiders ignored size restrictions, taking every bivalve they could find, often stealing from oyster beds maintained by legitimate oystermen. Some poachers were caught and imprisoned, but many got away. Local law-abiding oyster gatherers were left with nothing to harvest. Opposite page: A multigenerational oysterman holds the tongs used to rake the beds. April 2021 / OUTDOOR RETAILER 31