Disease, weather hamper US oyster supply, prices spike

While the summer season is typically challenging for oysters, this year’s hot temperatures and increased demand have made oysters even more difficult to come by.

Some West Coast oyster-producing areas have faced precautionary Vibrio closures and East Coast sizes have been running smaller this summer.

Simultaneously, oyster demand continues to incrase across the U.S., thanks to consumers’ growing desire for trying new foods. Oyster bars — and oysters on menus at restaurants of all types — are quickly becoming the norm.

“People are becoming more acquainted with them and love the taste. A lot of people are starting to get into the differences between the varieties; it is indicative of the foodie culture in general,” Vinny Milburn, co-owner and fishmonger at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster, a new fish market and raw bar/ café in Brooklyn, N.Y., told SeafoodSource.

And restaurant guests love being educated on the stories behind oysters, including the different regions they are from, Harry Mahleres, director of purchasing for distributor Seattle Fish Co. in Denver, Colo., told SeafoodSource.“People are looking for oysters of all sizes and flavors. In Denver, there are a plethora of restaurants that aren’t seafood houses selling oysters, and a lot of new seafood bar-type restaurants with oysters. Everyone has oysters on their menu, and the resorts have customers from all over the world,” Mahleres said.

However, there are just not enough oysters to keep up with demand, leading to higher prices. “Ugliness permeates the oyster industry right now, at least on the West Coast. Totten Inlet is closed until 1 October due to four confirmed vibrio illnesses. Affected areas are Wolf Beach, Eagle Rock and Totten Inlet,” Mahleres said in his recent Harry’s Market Report newsletter.

Plus, the oyster beds in Eld Inlet, Hammersley Inlet and Pickering Passage are closed, due to an illness attributed to oysters in one restaurant in Milwaukee that was traced back to the state of Washington.

“These regions expect a favorable ruling to reopen, but the involvement of several governmental agencies may prolong the process,” Mahleres said.

Meanwhile, volume on the East Coast from Cape Cod and Duxbury is sporadic. Island Creek Oysters and other suppliers are now starting to ship larger sizes, after a summer of only smaller sizes being available, according to Mahleres.“Colder weather this winter hindered growout on the East Coast. Our supply was okay, but our sizing was difficult,” Mahleres said.

Because of significantly reduced supply and variety, oyster prices are running 20 percent higher overall this season. Standard oysters are averaging USD 0.70 (EUR 0.53) to USD 0.80 (EUR 0.61) each wholesale, while specialty, premium oysters are running more than USD 1 (EUR 0.76) each wholesale.

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