May 22, 2013
With recent catastrophic events in the gulf, the oyster harvest has been greatly affected.
We looked at how the shortage is impacting local restaurants.
Oysters, a delicacy that many seafood lovers enjoy, most of the time with crackers and hot sauce.
And oyster bar server Josh McCoy knows why his customers always come back for more
"They are good, to see everyone come in and enjoy them, " says Josh McCoy oyster bar server at Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant.
But what hasn't been so enjoyable is the recent shortage of the shellfish, and what it boils down to is simple economics.
"Supply and demand right now its the shortage is because it being left open all year, to help Louisiana through the oil spill," says Tim Reeves owner of Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant.
After the oil spill the state of Florida chose to keep the winter beds open, in order to help oyster farmers in Louisiana keep money in their pockets, one state helping the other in a time of crisis, but leaving the beds open caused the oysters to not have an effective mating season.
And according to reeves after Isaac blew through the gulf many farmers aren't getting anything.
"Everybody's struggling, the oysterman people can't catch 20 percent of what they were catching, so they had to go up on the price so those people can make a living," says Josh McCoy oyster bar server at Hunt’s Seafood Restaurant.
And going up on those prices is something McCoy does not want customers to hear.
Right now restaurants are saying they may have to go up at least one dollar per dozen.
