Jennie Bourgeois

Apparently, we still have not learned from the past that wasting more taxpayer money on oyster education does not work.   Charlie Melancon just announced that he secured funding for more oyster education to bring awareness to individuals about the dangers of eating raw oysters.  How about let’s just make oysters safe and then you don’t have to worry about who might know and who might not know and accidentally die?  Just seems like such a backwards way of doing things and yet another way to continue wasting money.

The federal government has previously funded oyster education and has already proven that it did not reduce the number of oyster related deaths … but I guess they want to try it again to see if maybe this time it might work.   Instead, why not look to the example of California and make all raw oysters safe – that has proven to be 100% effective and not cost the state or federal government additional money to educate people about a danger that is completely avoidable.

Here is a portion of the story from the Bayou Perspective

$174,000 to help the Gulf Coast oyster industry reduce illnesses from Vibrio vulnificus in shellfish.

Congressman Melancon secured federal funding for a consumer education campaign led by the oyster industry focused on reducing illnesses associated with Vibrio vulnificus in shellfish, avoiding the need for further restrictions by federal agencies on the sale of oysters. This federal investment will help the Gulf Coast oyster industry fund an education outreach program to at-risk consumers of raw oysters about the risk of eating raw oysters during certain times of the year and introducing them to post-harvest processed oysters that can be consumed with less risk.

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