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Town Chucks Local Oysters

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Associated Press

Celebrators at a seafood festival in this Florida Panhandle town famous for its oysters are shucking and swallowing Louisiana and Texas mollusks because of red tide in local waters.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services closed Apalachicola Bay for oyster harvesting Oct. 16, forcing festival organizers to resort to importing shellfish.

“It’s a bummer because we think our oysters are the best in the nation,” said Anita Gregory, executive director of the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce.

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Officials are unsure when the bay will reopen for harvesting.

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