However, Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters manager Graeme Wright said he was confident there would be just enough of the delicacy to please everyone at tomorrow’s Bluff Oyster & Food Festival.
He had his "fingers and toes crossed" in the hope for better weather today so skippers could harvest enough oysters in time.
"Ideally, I would have much more [oysters] than I’ve got, but we will have enough for everybody to have a taste."
While he would not say how many oysters had been harvested during the week, he confessed to being anxious.
His company sold on average about 2500 dozen oysters during the event, he said.
"I feel nervous, but there is not much we can do. It is what it is. It is the nature of the elements and the nature of the fishery.
"I think that is what makes oysters so special — you can’t have them whenever you want."
Fowlers Wild Bluff Oysters manager Terina Stockwell said she was also a "bit stressed".
Her shop in Bluff had been closed since Monday as there were not enough oysters to sell.
It was unfortunate, as the shop would normally have strong sales in the week before the festival, she said.
"Live oysters will be slim. It’s a bit nerve-racking having this so close to the festival, especially because it is a big day for Bluff and we all love it.
"Hopefully, we can go out ... but we don’t have as many as we would in previous years."
This was the worst week before the festival in the past 20 years, she said.
"Now with our shop not open, it will be a very big dent, unfortunately ... It is the entire week we are missing."
Bluff Oyster & Food Festival committee member Kylie Fowler was celebrating after two boats managed to go out into the Foveaux Strait to harvest yesterday afternoon, after an improvement in the weather.
Despite a possible lack of raw oysters, there were plenty of other options, including battered and cooked oysters, she said.
"They are already sorted. The raw ones would be the issue, but given the boats are out, hopefully they can get some oysters and come back home."
There would still be plenty of crayfish, paua, scallops, salmon, blue cod and whitebait.
Bad weather was something the organisation had to be aware of every year.
"We are confident and, as I always say, we are celebrating Bluff oystering and the whole environment so even if we can’t have as many Bluff oysters, we’re still going to get together and enjoy the event as best as we can."
The sold-out Bluff Oyster & Food Festival will be held tomorrow from 10.30am to 5pm.
