A Louisiana resident was cited by law enforcement after being caught buying, shucking, and then reselling oysters without a commercial license.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents received an anonymous complaint about Destrehan, Louisiana, U.S.A. resident Ursin Abbate buying sacks of oysters, shucking them, and then selling the shucked oysters in quart-sized containers – a service he advertised on social media.
LDWF agents contacted Abbate at his home, where they immediately noticed cleaned oyster shells in multiple buckets. Agents confirmed that Abbate did not have commercial licenses for the activity, did not keep required records, and was in violation of the sanitation code. Agents ultimately seized five quart-sized containers of sucked oysters and found another sack of oysters.
Abbate faces between USD 250 and USD 500 (EUR 213 and EUR 427) in fines and up to 90 days in jail for each offense, as well as a USD 25 (EUR 21) fine for the sanitation code violation.
