HOUMA — Some fishermen will be put out of business by new raw-oyster regulations aimed at curbing a deadly bacterial infection, oyster-industry officials said.
The new rules, which go into effect Saturday, require oysters harvested between May and October be refrigerated within an hour if they’re intended for raw consumption. Violators will be ticketed and the oysters returned to sea.
Currently, fishermen have five hours to get such oysters refrigerated.
The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the state Oyster Task Force, LSU AgCenter and the Department of Health and Hospitals met Monday in Houma to discuss the pending change.
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