Red tide blocks reopening of Mississippi’s oyster season
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) – Oyster season won’t be reopening any time soon in Mississippi.
The Commission on Marine Resources was told Wednesday that required red tide testing, to make sure oysters are safe for harvest, could take up to three months.
WLOX-TV reports the harmful algal bloom closed the oyster season nearly two weeks ago.
Joe Jewell of the Department of Marine Resources told commissioners the oyster season may not reopen until March or April because of stringent testing protocol that’s required to ensure the oysters are safe following red tide.
Oyster fishermen are understandably unhappy with that news.
DMR Executive Director Jamie Miller said the department is looking at some kind of work program, such as oyster relaying, to assist fishermen, but that won’t happen at least for a few more weeks.
