Scarcity drives oyster demand down

Maybe it’s the weather, but I think it could also be the general economy.

Demand for Bluff oysters has not been as strong this year because the delicacy has been difficult to source, retailers and restauranteurs say.

But the Bluff Oyster Management Company says there has been ‘‘no issue’’ moving its product, and this year’s quota will definitely be met.

Speights Ale House Invercargill head chef Bert West said they were ordering Bluff oysters only when customers requested them.

They had not had a steady supply of oysters for much of the season because poor weather had prevented the boats going out, but sales had also been ‘‘quite slow’’ at times when they were readily available, West said.

‘‘For quite a while we couldn’t get any because of the weather, so we’ve just stopped getting them unless people ask,’’ West said. ‘‘By the end of the season people tend to lose interest in them, but even at the start they weren’t moving that fast. We had a big special where we were selling them for about $25 a dozen.’’

West said the ale house usually sold Bluff oysters for $46 a dozen. ‘‘It does get down to making oyster soup and that sort of thing to move them by the end of the season.’’

Ascot Food Group managing director Bruce Kwong said sales at each of the group’s five takeaway stores in Invercargill were down.

The decline ‘‘wasn’t massive’’, but it was noticeable, he said.

‘‘Maybe it’s the weather, but I think it could also be the general economy,’’ Kwong said. ‘‘We have a lot of farmers here and with Fonterra’s [forecast dividend] down, a lot of people don’t have the money there for things like oysters.’’

Ainos Steakhouse bucked the trend, with owner-operator Givanna McKnight saying the sales were on par with previous years.

She sold Bluff oysters for $43 a dozen and never had to discount them to make sales, she said.

‘‘At the start of the season there are always more going out, but we’ve still got our regulars coming in for them and we never have a problem moving what we buy.’’

Bluff Oyster Management Company spokesman Graeme Wright said demand always fell as the season wore on.

There had been some difficulty getting oysters to their destination because of road closures and icy conditions over the past week.

He had experienced no issue selling what had been harvested to retailers.

‘‘I’ve got the bulk of the oysters [at Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters] and I certainly haven’t had an issue moving them,’’ Wright said. ‘‘We processed close to capacity quite a few days [last week] and I’ve had no issue doing them.’’

The Bluff oyster fleet had already harvested more than 80 per cent of its quota, Wright said.

The quota had been scaled back by 3000 oysters this year.