Questions raised about summer oyster harvesting season

The summer oyster harvesting season opened at the beginning of the month and concerns are already being raised about how long the season will be able to sustain a harvest.

Seafood workers association president Shannon Hartsfield told the county commission last week that because of changes in the harvesting rules this year the oyster crop will face a lot of pressure.

The harvesting week was shortened from 7 days to 5 days which is supposed to decrease pressure on the oyster crop, but the allowable harvest was increased from 20 bags per boat per day to 20 bags per person.

Mister Hartsfield said most long-time oystermen are pulling in about 20 bags a day of good oysters, but there are some people who are getting 30 to 35 bags a day or more because they are harvesting everything they can get, including smaller 2-inch oysters that are supposed to be next year’s crop.

FWC officers are supposed to keep oystermen from bringing in undersized oysters but Mister Hartsfield said they haven’t seen many of the officers out on the bars.

At this point they are concerned that with the current pressure on the oyster crop that the summer season may not even make it through the next month and with the number of small oysters being harvested, next year’s summer season may be just as bad or worse. 

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