The Saint Joseph Bay scallop population in Gulf County is increasing. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a recent sampling of the current population shows it is nearly four times that of last year and nearly twice the average of the past six years. A restoration project was started in 2016 and the FWC, with the help of community volunteers, collected more than 6,000 scallops, which were caged for protection during spawning in a “No Entry” zone in a south-central area of the bay. Scallop harvest season began Friday and continues through September 30th.