Fact check: When will you be able to eat fresh SC oysters in 2023?
The saying goes that you can eat local oysters in months that contain the letter ‘r.’ Now that we’re well into September, you might be looking forward to local shellfish at cozy oyster roasts and on restaurant menus.
Nance’s Creek Front Restaurant in Murrells Inlet is waiting too. On Friday, they posted to their Facebook, “Unfortunately, SCDNR has delayed commercial oyster harvesting. No local oysters until October.”
At the time of publication, the post has 140 shares and Nance’s had not responded to requests for comment.
When will I be able to eat South Carolina oysters this fall?
Oct. 1 is expected to be the opening date for this year’s shellfish harvesting season, said Erin Weeks, spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Division. The date could be delayed depending on the weather and applies to both commercial and recreational harvesters.
Is this late?
This is a typical time to open the season. Oyster season started before Oct. 1 only three times in the last 16 years, according to data provided by SCDNR.
How do officials decide when SC fishers can harvest shellfish?
SCDNR waits to start the season until the water temperature is cooler and less likely to contain dangerous bacteria such as Vibrio, Weeks said.
Since oysters are filter feeders, they pick up the harmful substances in their environment. That’s why shellfish harvesting is sometimes closed after a hurricane or other storm.
“The runoff that comes with an influx of rain is often full of lots of nasty stuff, not just bacteria, but other waterborne diseases or pollutants,” Weeks said.
Check for closures in your area on this Department of Health and Environmental Control map.
