"This winter was unprecedented, weather-wise - at least in my lifetime," said Peeko Oysters owner Peter Stein.

This winter's deep freeze caused severe damage to oyster operations on Long Island. The Governor's Office estimates there was a $2.4 million impact on the industry.

"We lost the crop, lost equipment, and spent time dealing with that instead of doing other things that would advance our business," Stein said.

Subfreezing temperatures created a thick layer of ice that cost Peeko Oysters upward of a million oysters from their crop, along with significant financial damage.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars," Stein said.

The state has awarded $3 million to oyster farmers following the brutal winter weather and its effects not only on the crop but also on their equipment.

"We still saw damage from those icebergs that took our cages, tumbled them, crushed them, and buried our oysters, so we did see some mortality," said Kelsey Ketcham of Peconic Gold Oysters.

Peconic Gold Oyster Farm is one of 14 on Long Island receiving financial help from the state, and Ketcham said the $116,000 they received feels like finding a pearl in an oyster after much of their hope for the summer season was swept away.

"We will be able to be on the farm more, produce more, and lower our variable costs," Ketcham said.

So what does the estimated 30% loss in production mean for Long Islanders hoping to enjoy the succulent shellfish this summer?

Deliveries are already underway, and farmers say that with additional help and hard work, Long Island will still have plenty of oysters to go around.

"We will suffer a loss, but we continue to have all the stock we need to supply our partners," Ketcham said.

Source - https://abc7ny.com