The first of this season's Bluff oysters should be on sale in Dunedin today, but supplies later in the week could be scarce as forecast weather conditions are not ideal for fishing.
The 11 oyster boats left Bluff yesterday morning on the first day of the season, bringing back about 8000 dozen oysters.
Barnes Oysters' Graeme Wright said the good weather yesterday meant the fishermen were able to get a better first day's catch this year than last.
Doors opened at his Invercargill shop at 2.30pm and an hour later there was still a line of about 50 people waiting for their first taste of the season at $23 a dozen.
The forecast severe winds about Foveaux Strait for the next few days could put a temporary stop to the harvest, he said yesterday.
''It's frustrating, but that's oystering. We got a good catch today so we'll be OK tomorrow, but from there we'll have to see what the weather brings.''
Harbour Fish City's Aaron Cooper, of Dunedin, headed south last night and expected to arrive back in Dunedin at lunchtime today with some of the city's first oysters.
He would not be putting prices up, or including last year's GST increase, and planned to sell them for $25 a dozen.
Blue Water Products manager Ross Hutchinson said he thought they would be lucky to get some oysters in by tomorrow because of the huge demand for the delicacy.
He was not sure what price the oysters would be.
''It's always a bit difficult at the start of the season. It takes two or three weeks to settle down.''
