Oyster growers at Narooma are immune from the national shortage of baby Pacific oysters or spat because they almost exclusively grow Sydney rock oysters and collect their own spat from the wild.
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Since the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS) virus outbreak in Tasmanian oyster hatcheries, South Coast oyster farmers who grow these oysters have been struggling to source spat to grow.
Growers up on the Clyde River and down at Wapengo, who do grow sterile diploid Pacific oysters, have made urgent calls for more hatchery facilities including a proposal for facility on the Moruya River.
Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis has backed calls from the South Coast oyster industry for a hatchery and toured the Eurobodalla on Tuesday and Clyde River farmer when Australia’s Oyster Coast director Ben Ralston told her he had enough Pacific oysters to last only about 18 months.
Narooma oyster grower David Maidment said he personally supported the proposal for a Moruya River hatchery saying it was in all oyster growers’ best interest to diversify into different species.
“I believe we do need to diversify to have two or three species so when something happens like disease, we don’t have all our eggs, or oysters, in one basket,” he said.
Mr Maidment unsuccessfully lobbied to have Wagonga Inlet at Narooma approved for the sterile Pacific oysters but there was not sufficient consensus among local growers. Only Sydney rock oysters and the native flat or Angassi oysters can be grown at Narooma.
Local growers collect their own spat from the wild and so are immune from any hatchery shortages or problems, although there had been problems sourcing special winter mortality proof spat, he said.
Mr Maidment actually had his own “on-farm micro hatchery” at his shed on Barlows Bay, but this was primarily to grow the native flat oysters, which are growing in popularity among gourmands.
Ms Sudmalis said a site at Moruya Airport could stablise the rest of the South Coast industry. She toured the site this week with Federal Minister for Trade and Investment, Steven Ciobo.
“This could provide much-needed stability for our region’s oyster farmers, and certainty of supply which vital,” Mrs Sudmalis said.
“But the most exciting part is the potential for oyster spats grown at the local hatchery to not only meet the needs of local farmers, but to be sent around Australian and even around the world.”
Mrs Sudmalis said she was pursuing seed funding for the project, and Mr Ralston said any help from the government would see private investors also put in funds.
“You will also see investment in local oyster farms increase 10-fold,” Mr Ralston said.
Mr Ciobo said he understood the commercial sense of having a supply chain in place.
The oyster hatchery was one of several businesses examining export potential that Mr Ciobo and Mrs Sudmalis visited during the day.
At Afflick’s Abattoir in Moruya they looked at a new $4 million rendering plant operating under the name of Stockfeeds Australia, which is using byproducts from the abattoir and other meatworks in Milton and Sydney to create tallow and meat meal.
Owner Jeff Afflick said the quality of his products was “the best in Australia”, and had generated plenty of interest from overseas.
“The Middle East is huge – they’ve been knocking on the door for the past six months since they found out what we’re doing,” he said.
Mr Ciobo said Australian meat processors were benefiting greatly from reduced tariffs in the free trade agreements the Coalition concluded with Japan, China and Korea and this gives Stockfeeds Australia a competitive advantage when they start exporting.
He said the Government would help facilitate their entry into new overseas markets through Austrade.
Also looking at potential markets overseas for highly specialised products was Milton District Meats Abattoir where Mr Ciobo praised the innovation being shown through a focus on high quality products including alpaca meats for restaurants and specialist outlets in Australia and also in potential overseas markets.
Mrs Sudmalis said the businesses showed the region was looking to take advantage of better trade options made available through Free Trade Agreements with China, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
“These businesses are showing there are amazing opportunities for economic growth and jobs through selling our fantastic products to the rest of the world,” Mrs Sudmalis said.
“Many nations around the world are clamouring for the clean, green food and other goods coming from the South Coast, and we are providing the best possible setting for local producers to connect with new markets and do business with.”
Hatchery concern from some
Growers at Narooma who gather their spat from the wild on Moruya River actually hold grave concerns about the negative impact of a hatchery growing Pacific oysters and the potential spread of disease.
Eurobodalla Council mayor Lindsay Brown said he was totally aware and respectful of the sensitivity of some Sydney rock oyster growers.
“The hatchery is not a Pacific oyster hatchery but a shellfish hatchery and will also be capable of growing spat for Sydney rock, Angassi breeds along with other shellfish down the track such as mussels, abalone and scallops,” Cr Brown said. “All baby oysters that come from hatcheries are tested against such diseases as POMS.”
Growers need not worry, it will not affect him but should they ever need Sydney rock spat, the hatchery could be a good thing for him too, he said.
Hatchery badly needed: Clyde
Clyde River oyster farmer Ben Ralston is hoping to see an oyster hatchery built at the Moruya Airport in the near future to secure the local industry.
Mr Ralston met with Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis and Federal Minister for Trade and Investment Steve Chiobo on Tuesday to tour the proposed location.
Oyster hatcheries provide juvenile oysters for commercial production, restoration projects and research.
It is estimated to cost between two and three million dollars to build a Moruya hatchery. Ms Sudmalis said she was looking at funding avenues. “I am looking at getting some substantial seed money,” she said.
Mr Ralston said it was a stressful time for farmers’.
“If you don’t have stock, you don’t have a business,” he said. “It is one thing to have a farm and fall in love with it but, at the end of the day, if you have nothing to sell or no business and no stock coming through, that is where it falls over fairly quickly.”
Mr Ralston said having an oyster hatchery at Moruya Airport would bring “huge opportunities” for the entire region.
“It gives farmers’ security for their farm,” he said. “Farmers’ are relying on wild caught oysters because, at the moment, we don’t have a hatchery that we can buy from. You put out your infrastructure to catch those wild oysters but you can’t plan your farm on that because you don’t know what you’re going to have.”
“Being able to move oysters in a short amount of time is what it is all about. Anything that is at the airport is an ideal location.”
Mr Ralston said the airport was idea because of its proximity to a clean oceanic water source and the ability to easily fly stock in and out of the region.
“As soon as we get this, hopefully we are more secure and robust and you will see the investment will start to rise tenfold. If you have your own source, very close to your own estuary, in your own region, your farm is safe. When you go to export sales, or wherever the oysters end up, the margins will be there.”