For local restaurant owner Henry Chan, recent hurricanes in the Caribbean have shaken things up closer to home.

Prices for sushi-grade tuna have risen sharply due to decreased fishing in stormy waters, forcing restaurants that serve fish to consider alternative options.

Sushi containing tuna comprises about 15 percent of sales at Chan’s restaurant, Shanghai Bistro, 2930 Craig Rd., he said.

Prices last week rose from about $13 per pound to about $15 per pound in anticipation of reduced availability, Chan said. As of Wednesday, the price was just under $16.50 per pound.

He said the price increase is having a tangible effect on his business.

“I think we can adapt to it,” he said. ” … I think for the short term, we can either adjust our prices or not sell tuna.”

A third alternative, Chan said, is substituting frozen tuna for the fresh variety. He said he always keeps frozen tuna on hand in case demand is larger than expected. This week, though, his supplier was sold out because of concern that the fish would become less available.

Sushi-grade tuna is different and more expensive than other kinds.

“It’s the best of the best,” Chan said. “It has to be, because you’re eating it raw.”

After the fish is caught by Japanese fishers in the Caribbean region, it’s flown into Chicago by 5 a.m. There, it’s delivered immediately to distribution companies close to the airport. Orders are due by 11 a.m., and the fish is in Eau Claire by 1 p.m.

Other crops and products have also been affected by recent hurricanes. In Grenada, where government officials estimate 90 percent of homes have been flattened by storms, nutmeg crops have been badly damaged. Chan said he thought the impact would be felt more severely by grocers, because the spice is used in many Thanksgiving and Christmas foods.

The Florida Department of Agriculture estimates losses of $400 million to $505 million to the state’s citrus crop. The department also estimates losses of $150 million to the state’s timber industry.

Jason Flom, assistant general manager at Menards, 3619 Hastings Way, said plywood and chipboard may be harder to obtain, partly because of increased demand in storm-ravaged regions.

“Prices have already gone through the roof,” he said, adding it’s due in part to heavy demand in Iraq. “I can’t possibly see prices getting much higher.”

Commercial fishing industry officials said they expect losses of around $10 million. The market for clams, oysters and shrimp has been similarly affected.

Randi Schultze, grocery and produce manager for Ron’s Castle Foods, 1031 W. Clairemont Ave., said the hurricanes have not yet impacted the prices of products they carry.

Mike Walker, owner and manager of Kerm’s On Water Street, 329 Water St., said his prices have not been affected, but he speculated grocers may feel the storms’ full effect later.

“Most of the stuff that comes out of Florida is citrus, and it’s not citrus season yet,” he said. Kerm’s does not sell fresh fish.

Chan said Eau Claire’s limited market for fresh fish has actually tempered the negative effects in larger cities.

“If we were a restaurant in, say, Chicago, we would be biting our fingers,” he said.