. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. By Nancy Davis Banned shellfish scared consumers away from otherwise safe seafood Photo by Scott Taylor eafood Lovers Avoid the Captain's Platter ncle Henry's Oyster Roast has seen some bad seasons . . but none as bad as this one. hen the toxic red tide swept into North Carolina and closed 200 miles of the state's coastal waters, it nearly wiped out the Wilmington restaurant's business. ovember and December are peak months for oysters, the restaurant's specialty. Usually at that time of year, Uncle Henry's
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. By Nancy Davis Banned shellfish scared consumers away from otherwise safe seafood Photo by Scott Taylor eafood Lovers Avoid the Captain's Platter ncle Henry's Oyster Roast has seen some bad seasons . . but none as bad as this one. hen the toxic red tide swept into North Carolina and closed 200 miles of the state's coastal waters, it nearly wiped out the Wilmington restaurant's business. ovember and December are peak months for oysters, the restaurant's specialty. Usually at that time of year, Uncle Henry's does about $1,700 worth of business each week. ut this year, red tide got the best of that business. n early December, the restaurant was taking in less than $100 a week. enry Kirkum, the third generation of his family to operate Uncle Henry's, says, "People just quit eating everything. They just don't even come ; ed tide dealt a blow to North Carolina's seafood industry. But con- sumer fear struck a knock-out punch that left some owners of small seafood restaurants and markets struggling to get back on their feet. hellfish—oysters, clams and scallops—in affected areas were banned. But finfish, shrimp and crabs were safe to eat. ven so, consumers were wary. And many swore off seafood altogether. he result: the red tide took a larger toll on the seafood industry than it had to. eafood experts say the toxic algae af- fects only shellfish. Although the red tide may kill some finfish, fish are safe to eat. The algae doesn't concentrate in the flesh of a fish. Instead, it kills the fish by paralyzing its gills or by reducing oxygen levels in the water. ut seafood consumers didn't trust what they were hearing. And even pic- tures of Gov. James Martin sampling North Carolina seafood did little to change folks' minds. he effects of the red tide rippled through coastal North Carolina like the Domino effect. First fishermen, then seafood dealers, and eventually, restaur
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