Suffolk County is at risk of being federally recognized as a “disaster area” after the oyster industry suffered heavy losses this past winter. Approximately 30% of the area’s oyster production was lost, resulting in millions of dollars in damages to farms.

Kathy Hochul has submitted a request to the US Department of Agriculture seeking emergency status. If approved, local farmers could access low-interest federal loans of up to $500,000 to recover production.

Farm owners describe the damage as massive. Peter Stein, founder of Peeko Oysters, stated he lost over 1 million oysters during the winter, with financial losses reaching hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.

The primary cause was prolonged extreme cold weather, similar to the historic blizzard that paralyzed New York, which caused farming operations to nearly halt and damaged equipment. About 50 farms in the region were directly affected.

It’s not just the growers suffering; the consumer market is also clearly impacted. Oyster prices in Long Island towns have risen to about $20 per pound, many times higher than previous averages. Data from NOAA Fisheries shows that national oyster prices have increased more than fourfold since 2000.

Business owners warn that supply has dropped sharply while demand remains high, causing prices to continue escalating into the upcoming summer.

The US Department of Agriculture confirmed it has received the request from New York State and is accelerating the review process. If approved, growers will have 8 months to apply for financial assistance—an issue that Long Island Democratic Representatives have expressed particular interest in to support the local community.

Read more