In warm weather, it’s hard to resist the allure of raw shellfish on ice. Despite (admittedly outdated) advice that warns against eating them in months that don’t contain the letter “R,” oyster sales skyrocket in the summer, when slurping bivalves on the half shell can feel like a trip to the beach. But this year, raw bar offerings across New York City may look a little different. After a harsh winter that hampered Long Island aquaculture production, oyster farmers are facing high-season demand with a severely limited supply.
“New York produces about 10 million oysters annually,” says Eric Koepele, president of the Long Island Oyster Growers Association, “but about 30 percent of the crop across all farms on Long Island was wiped out this winter.” Both major oyster-growing areas in the region — Great South Bay and Moriches Bay on the South Shore and Peconic Bay on the East End — were battered by extended periods of extreme cold, heavy winds, and thick ice, which bulldozed crops and damaged equipment.
Stefanie Bassett, who in 2018 founded Little Ram Oyster Co. on Long Island’s North Fork with her partner, Elizabeth Peeples, says that though oyster farmers have had to become more adaptive to withstand increased climate variability, this winter was “unlike anything we’ve experienced since starting our farm.” The pair lost nearly half their crop, which is a blow not just for this summer, but a few seasons to come. “The financial impact is significant,” she says. “Depending on size, it takes two to three years to grow a market oyster, so when you lose inventory, you’re losing years of investment, labor, and planning.”
In April, the USDA issued an official disaster declaration for aquaculture producers in Suffolk and Nassau Counties, which provides low-interest loans and emergency assistance to affected farms. Industry representatives like Koepele anticipate that gear repairs and replacements alone will cost an estimated $2.4 million, to say nothing of the loss of income from sales and events.
What will this shortage mean for oyster eaters in NYC? Depends where you look. Koepele predicts that most bars and restaurants will simply cast a wider sourcing net. “At the places that are less set on having a Long Island oyster on the menu, you’re going to see fewer of us for about 12 months,” he says. Lists might feature oysters from across New England and even farther south like the Chesapeake Bay and beyond to make up the difference. “Depending on how much supply makes its way north, there may be some price increases at the consumer level,” he notes.
“It’s getting a lot harder to find consistent product, and when you do, it’s extremely expensive. But everybody wants raw bar — it feels so deeply summery with a glass of cold wine or a cold Martini. As soon as the weather turns, we see our sales flip to that side of the menu.”
By contrast, restaurants that are dedicated to sourcing from in-state farms will likely be able to continue to do so because there are fewer with this mission and most have built long-term relationships with farmers already. “Buyers have to be more flexible and understand that availability may be limited or less consistent than in previous seasons,” says Bassett. “We’ve been fortunate to have restaurant partners who understand that weather events happen, and they’ve continued supporting local growers through a difficult season.”
At Strange Delight, the New Orleans-inspired seafood restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, chef Ham El-Waylly says that weather complications are part of what motivated the team to expand their offerings beyond just Long Island oysters, particularly in light of the busy season. “It’s getting a lot harder to find consistent product, and when you do, it’s extremely expensive,” he says. “But everybody wants raw bar — it feels so deeply summery with a glass of cold wine or a cold Martini. As soon as the weather turns, we see our sales flip to that side of the menu.” Now, Strange Delight works with a sourcing partner that taps farms in Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, which means there are options in place if any farm faces sudden bad weather or shipping challenges. “I think everyone in the industry is in the same boat,” El-Waylly says. “We’re trying to balance cost, availability, and making something interesting that people want to eat.”
Dock’s Oyster Bar in Midtown Manhattan makes a point to feature two or three Long Island oysters on its menu at all times, so the weather crisis has been top of mind. “We heard about the devastation in February or March, in the process of planning our summer oyster festival,” says general manager Stephen Olsen. The team ultimately featured fewer farms than they’d originally planned to at the event due to difficulty in sourcing, but in general, the restaurant has been able to rely on standing partnerships to keep supply steady. “It’s very community focused, and feels like we’re all in this together,” says Olsen. “We do what we can to support them.”
But farmers and restaurants alike are quick to add: Long Island’s tough winter is just one of the challenges facing Atlantic oyster growers — and by extension, oyster consumers in the Northeast. Rising sea temperatures off the east coast of Canada have caused an increase in parasites like MSX and Dermo in the water, which pose no health risk to humans but can decimate entire oyster populations. “Canada exports about 100 million oysters to the U.S. every year,” says Koepele, “with about 70 percent of that coming down the East Coast, mostly from the Prince Edward Island area.” Because of the parasitic spike, he says, “you’re looking at anywhere between 30 and 100 percent mortality rates, depending on the farm.” Olsen says he’s seen Maine oyster farmers come to the aid of Canadian farmers, assisting with reseeding and other rehabilitation practices. “It’s really special, everyone kind of helps each other because they know how hard it is to bring this product to people,” he says.
Though NYC won’t face extreme shortages this summer, oyster lovers ordering a dozen from Long Island are participating in more than just an idyllic happy-hour activity — it’s an effort to help build back an important nearby industry. “Buying local oysters is one of the most direct ways to support New York’s coastal communities and working waterfronts,” says Bassett. “Every oyster purchased helps sustain local family businesses, creates demand for clean water, and keeps waterfront infrastructure and maritime traditions alive.”
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