FDA proposal could kill Gulf Coast oyster industry

The Gulf Coast oyster industry is reeling from a proposal from the US Food and Drug Administration that could ban the sale of raw Gulf Coast oysters for as much as 8 months a year. The announcement was made on October the 17th at a meeting of shellfish regulators and industry officials – many of whom say the plan will threaten thousands of jobs and crush a clean, sustainable fishery. The proposed ban was developed without public input and FDA officials admit they have not analyzed the economic impact. A Louisiana seafood dealer said the proposal would cost that state thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars – something especially painful since Louisiana is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Locally the response has been equally negative. Tommy Ward of Buddy Ward and Sons Seafood said “This proposal could be the end of our way of life,” Anita Grove, director of the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce said “It would bankrupt our town.” FDA officials believe that consumers of live half-shell oysters will willingly switch to frozen or processed oysters – something that people in the industry don’t agree with. A Birmingham, Alabama restaurateur likened FDA belief that people will simply switch to processed oysters is like claiming that people don’t appreciate the difference between fresh strawberries and frozen ones. FDA officials say the Gulf oyster ban is necessary to protect public health from the naturally occurring Vibrio vunificus bacteria which sickens about 30 people each year. The bacteria is deadly for people with preexisting medical conditions, such as liver damage, immune deficiencies and cancer. But virtually none of the Vibrio vulnificus cases on record have hurt healthy people. Vibrio deaths, in fact, make up less than one tenth of one percent of the estimated 5000 food related deaths in the US each year. Oyster harvesters from other parts of the country are watching this development closely. Officials have also suggested that new restrictions may be in the works for West Coast and East Coast shellfish and shellfish growers in other regions are worried that the Gulf Oyster ban could set the stage for oppressive rules all around the country. Under pressure from shellfish regulators, harvesters, and dealers, the FDA has tentatively agreed to examine the economic impact of the proposed ban, and has also agreed to a collaborative meeting in the summer of 2010 to focus on the proposed Gulf oyster ban, which would take effect in the spring of 2011.

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