P&J Oyster Co., the 134 year-old French Quarter oyster distributor, is laying off employees after reaching the end of its Louisiana oyster supply. P&J Oyster Co., the 134 year-old French Quarter oyster distributor, is laying off employees after reaching the end of its Louisiana oyster supply. WRNO in New Orleans reports that the BP oil spill has forced the closure of all of P&J's source oyster beds. Co-owner Al Sunseri hopes BP will take care of employees he's had to let go. From WGNO:
"This is our last day, I don't have any prospects to get any oysters - they closed one of the main areas where we get our oysters from," Sunseri said. "Barataria Basin is where P & J has made its name over the years and that whole basin is now closed."
Oyster bed closures are also impacting harvest in Caminada Bay, home to many of the oyster beds several Acadiana restaurants rely on. Read more about the imperiled oyster supply in the recent Independent cover story, ["The Last Harvest."](cover-story/6323-the-last-harvest ""The Last Harvest."")