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North Indian River Lagoon shellfishing reopens locally; longtime resident urges restoration efforts
Summary
Board members and residents noted that shellfishing in the north part of Sebastian's section of the Indian River Lagoon reopened in March; a longtime commercial fisherman said restoring shell habitat can rapidly revive oysters, clams and shrimp and urged continued restoration work.
Sebastian’s Natural Resource Board heard public comment on May 6 that the north portion of the Indian River Lagoon in the city’s area reopened for shellfishing in March, and a longtime local fisherman urged continued restoration efforts to rebuild shellfish beds.
Brent Wahlberg, who identified himself as working both commercial and recreational fisheries, said the lagoon’s north section “is open for shell fishing again” and recalled historical abundance: “When I was a kid…foam blowing across US 1. Well, they removed all the shell, and you put that back.” He cited a local dredging example in which calcium carbonate substrate allowed clams to reappear rapidly, and said shrimp returned in as little as 90 days under favorable conditions.
Board members acknowledged the comment as positive news about the lagoon’s recovery and thanked Wahlberg for speaking. The board did not take any formal action at the meeting related to shellfish restoration or change existing management programs.
Wahlberg’s remarks were delivered in public comment and reflected his commercial experience; the board’s record only documents his observations and the city’s note that the North Lagoon area is open for shellfishing as of March.
