Texas Man Caught For Oyster Harvesting Violations In Louisiana Waters; Why It’s Important

(KPEL News) - It's the second time a Texas man is in hot water with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries after allegedly committing violations while harvesting oysters in Vermilion Parish.

Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries say the man failed to properly refrigerate the oysters he harvested, and agents seized the oysters, then returned them to the water.

Nasty bacteria that can cause serious medical issues and even death can grow when oysters are not handled properly.

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Why Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Agents Put Oysters Back in the Water

If you don't refrigerate oysters within one hour of taking them out of the water, the LDWF explains, you open up those oysters to some pretty nasty bacterial growth.

There is no secret that bodies of water in Louisiana have a Vibrio Vulnificus presence. This is one of those really nasty bacteria. In fact, in August, LDWF urged caution as the number of Vibrio infections rose.

The infections that have happened so far this year in Louisiana have been due to open wounds being exposed to Vibrio. You'll find Vibrio Vulnificus in many coastal and brackish waters.

READ MORE: FLESH-EATING BACTERIA KILLS 5 IN LOUISIANA, 10 BEACHES NOW UNDER ADVISORY

The bacteria can give you gastrointestinal illness; it can really take over a wound, and it can lead to your death by infecting your blood. Anyone who has a compromised immune system due to any major disease is way more susceptible to an extreme or fatal outcome. Being infected with the bacteria, for example, can lead to amputation of the limb.

Agents arrested 48-year-old Manuel Martinez of Dickinson, Texas, for refrigeration code violations because of sanitation, along with log book violations.

Back on August 14, agents had contact with Martinez harvesting 3 sacks of oysters that were refrigerated, but they were not tagged. Martinez told them he captured them the day before, and the agents put them back in the water.

Fast forward to September 14, when agents watched Martinez harvest for several hours; when they made contact with him, they informed him he did not refrigerate the 25 sacks of oysters within the hour time frame, and his logbook was incorrect. The oysters were put back in the water.

The sanitation code is what keeps us all safe.