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Louisiana folk will likely be getting their Christmas oysters from out of state this year.
Al Sunseri, owner of P&J Oysters, says very few oysters are coming in from Louisiana's typically prolific areas of St. Bernard, east and west Plaquemines, Jefferson and Lafourche parishes.
"Most of them are going to be coming from other Gulf states than Louisiana, or central or western Louisiana," says Sunseri.
But, he says those imports are looking pretty impressive this year.
"They have some great Alabama oysters and Mississippi oysters. Texas oysters have been great this year and we're even getting quite a few in from Calcasieu Lake that look really nice," Sunseri says.
Folks looking to support the local oyster industry will have a tough search.
"If you're accustomed to getting oysters from the most prolific areas...typically St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Jefferson...you're not going to see a tremendous amount of oysters coming from those areas."
As for when those areas will return to normal production?
"That's the 84-dollar question. I wish I knew," Sunseri says. "We has some signs this summer that we would have young oysters growing and it all fell apart. Those young oysters that sat last spring and early summer seem to have died."
