New oyster harvesting rules designed to help protect oyster consumers from a naturally occurring bacterium called Vibrio Vulnificus will take effect on Monday though oystermen may not see the effects of the new rules until the summer oyster harvesting season begins in June.
The changes to the summer rules include limiting the amount of time oystermen can be on the water from May through July from dawn till 11:30 in the morning and from August through October from dawn until noon – that rule will only affect oysters harvested to be served raw and is designed to keep harvested oysters out of the hot summer sun. Oysters which are harvested later in the day or which do not make it back to the dealer by the required time will have to be labeled for shucking or for post harvest processing only.
Oystermen might also be able to work longer if they can install some form of cooling system on their boats. That is unlikely because of the small size of local oysterboats.
Oyster processors are also looking at tighter restrictions including a requirement that they be able to cool oysters to 55 degrees or less within 8 hours – for many dealers that would require better cooling systems than they have now.
The Florida Department of Agriculture, which oversees oyster harvesting in Florida, says the new rules are designed to meet a federal requirement of lowering the number of illnesses and deaths caused by Vibrio vulnificus by 60 percent. If that reduction is not met then the industry could be looking at even harsher restrictions which could include banning oyster harvesting during portions of the summer.
Currently about 30 people a year get sick from Vibrio and about 15 die nationwide. Its estimated only two people a year die from oysters harvested from the Apalachicola bay.
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