It is FREE to advertise in these classifieds. Items could include equipment, oysters, businesses or services. Please send details to laura@oceanwatch.org.au or call 0456 935 998. Please limit your description to 100 words or less, and remember to include your contact details & location. You may also include photos with your post.
This section provides a link to the latest information on spat availability. The first link provides an update on the latest hatchery runs. For more information about spat availability, prices and ordering please contact the hatcheries and nurseries directly. The second link provides access to a directory of NSW wild caught spat suppliers. To update or add your details to this directory please contact Laura Stoltenberg (0456 935 998 /laura@oceanwatch.org.au)
2020/21 Annual Production
2020/21 production for the NSW aquaculture industry increased by 10% from last year’s figures, to a total of $98.4 million. This is despite the impacts that the industry has experienced from bushfires, drought, floods, QX disease and COVID-19. The value of the oyster industry was similar to the previous year with the big movers being farmed Tiger Prawns from the north coast and Murray Cod grown in the Riverina.
Spatial Data Portal
The Fisheries Spatial Data Portal is the key GIS data management system to support information on aquaculture leases in NSW waters. It maps current and vacant Priority Oyster Aquaculture Areas (POAA), harvest areas and other relevant data such as Marine Parks and aquatic habitat data.
The Aquaculture team has recently created a new online resource (Fisheries Spatial Data instructional videos) to make the use of the spatial portal easier and more accessible for oyster farmers.
AquaDirect
Permit holders have been issued with new permits with unique identifiers issued under the e-business system AquaDirect. You are encouraged to sign up for the online system see https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquaculture/permit-holder-information/aquadirect
An informal working group of 20 grower are assisting with advice as the system grows. The next focus is online applications and access to lease plans.
Farmers are encouraged to report flood damage here.
Farmers are reminded again to please report all lease damage and stock loss through the NSW Government's Natural Disaster Assessment survey. This can't be over-stated. The Government uses this information to assess the level of impact, and release resources accordingly (eg. funding, grants etc.). You can access the natural disaster assessment reporting form by clicking on the link below.
There are a range of grants, subsidies and loans available through the Rural Assistance Authority. For the latest information, please check out their website here.
To navigate the confusion of grants, farmers may benefit from talking with the Rural Financial Councelling Service - who can provide free & confidential advice to help you make the right decision for your business.
Disaster relief loans - Primary producers
Primary producers directly affected by a declared natural disaster who are in urgent and genuine need of assistance, may be eligible for low interest loans of up to $130,000.
This low interest rate loan can help a farm business to:
continue to operate your farm businesses for the next twelve months or until the next income is received
replace and repair damage caused to the property and associated improvements not covered by insurance.
Storm Flood Industry Recovery Package Supply Chain Grants 2021 Extended to 3 June 2022
A Storms and Floods Industry Recovery Program was released in October 2021 to support significantly impacted industries recover from the impacts of the storms and floods events of February and March 2021. This includes oyster and mussel permit holders. It will mirror the successful 2020 Bushfire Industry Recovery Package and is additional to the 2021 $75,000 Special Flood Grant.
For additional support to help recovery from the March 2021 floods see the Storm Flood Industry Recovery Program at https://www.raa.nsw.gov.au/disaster-assistance/supply-chain-support-grants
Primary producers hit by storms and floods in NSW can access $15,000 immediately, through grants of up $75,000, as part of the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Grants are now available for eligible primary producers in the Local Government Areas that have been disaster declared for the February 2022 storm and flood event.
Those eligible for this grant can access up to $15,000 up-front to assist with the immediate clean-up and recovery costs, and if required, a further $60,000 to repair more extensive damage to their properties.
Service NSW is also available to discuss crisis support and can be called on 13 77 88.
The effects of a flood can be felt long after the waters have receded. Check in on your friends and neighbours, and if you or someone you know needs help, reach out. The following are free, confidential services available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) has Coordinators based across NSW who are able to provide specialist knowledge and support for people experiencing mental health concerns. You can contact coordinators for a chat about how you’re going, information about mental health services in the area or anything else that might be on your mind. https://ramhp.com.au/
Rural Aid: Australia’s most trusted rural charity. Rural Aid provides critical support to farmers affected by natural disaster through financial, wellbeing and other assistance. Rural Aid also help with specific support measures to meet farmer’s individual needs. These are measured on a case-by-case basis. You can register for assistance through their website https://www.ruralaid.org.au/
The oyster industry in collaboration with OceanWatch and Cleanup Australia Day turned out in full force again to support another year of Tide to Tip Clean-ups in late February. This is now the third year the program is running and its a great success story.
Below are some early statistics of the event and some photos. There is also a collection of news articles below. Tide to Tip appeared in six news articles and some radio interviews too. We saw new partnerships evolve as well (e.g., The Plastic Collective).
I would like to thank everyone involved in this state-wide initiative, particularly all the farmers who turned up and gave up hours of their day to add to the success of this program. Special thanks to the local coordinators who helped pull it all together:
Paul Wilson - Port Oyster Co.
Nicolas and Delphine Tessier - The Nambucca Oyster Company
Todd Graham/Andy Myers - T & J Graham Oysters/NSW Farmers Association
Brett Harper/Jason Armstrong - Armstrong Oysters
Brad Verdich - East33
Matt Salm - XL Oysters
Steve Williamson - Big Pete's Oysters
Bob Hill - Endeavour Oysters
Bruce Alford/Ana Rubio - Broken Bay Oysters/Hornsby Shire Council
Sally Maclean - Jim Wild's Oysters
Jimmy Baker - South Coast Mariculture/Jervis Bay Mussels
Ben Ralston - Ralston Bros Oysters
Craig Lavis - Horse Island Oysters
Linda Fernihough - Out of the Blue Oysters
Gary Rodley - Tathra Oysters
Kel Henry - Wonboyn Rock Oysters
Tim Prowse - Queensland Oyster Co.
We also acknowledge all the partners and volunteers of this event, including NSW DPI, NSW Farmer's Association, South East and Hunter LLS, Hornsby Shire Council, Clean-up Australia Day, and OzFish. The clean-ups are supported by the Local Landcare Coordinator Initiative, which is funded by the NSW Government, and supported through the partnership of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW. Shapes in the Sand, an independent Australian swimwear label, is donating $10 from the sale of each garment to OceanWatch Australia, contributing vital funds for Tide to Tip 2022.
We hope to continue this event into the future and encourage any farmers that want to get involved to contact me (laura@oceanwatch.org.au) and think about involving any community groups in your local region - more hands make it more fun and quicker!
Trade Show & Poster Evening:
With 20+ trade & information tables, this event provides dedicated time to catch up with gear suppliers, government agencies and other industry stakeholders. Canapes included.
Workshops:
An optional workshop on “Building biosecurity preparedness and resilience in the NSW Aquaculture industry" hosted by NSW DPI Aquatic Biosecurity. This workshop will cover emergency incident response & recovery, a discussion of social research results, a hands-on component, and a Q&A session. Light refreshments provided.
Photo competition:
The NSW Oyster Industry has been an iconic visual component of the NSW estuarine environment for over 140 years. There will be three entry categories (Portraits/People, Oyster Farming, and Nature/Environment) and prizes for winner and runner ups. The photo competition is open to all members of the NSW oyster industry, their family members and their employees.
Field Trips:
There is a wide selection of field trips on offer. These provide the opportunity to check out farming operations in on the Clyde River and Tuross Lake, as well as Jervis Bay.
Conference Sessions:
Hear the latest news and updates on oyster industry matters. The sessions will feature speakers from industry, industry associations, aquaculture managers, researchers, and other industry stakeholders and cover topics such as biosecurity, risk management, water quality, industry innovation, environment and oyster research, and updates from departments and industry associations.
Gala Dinner:
The place to be on Thursday night. The dinner will feature a 3-course meal, an entertaining MC and an auction. There will also be prizes for the photo competition winners.
Where?
Soldiers Club, Batemans Bay
More details will be made available soon (including registration) here.
AMSA Exemption 38 Course
Course 1: Tuesday 26th April to Friday 29th April 2022. 3 days in the classroom and 1 day on the water.
Course 2: Tuesday 3rd May to Friday 6th May 2022. 3 days in the classroom and 1 day on the water.
Course 3: Tuesday 10th May to Friday 13th May 2022. 3 days in the classroom and 1 day on the water.
Courses are free of charge (Funded by Training Services NSW).
Courses consists of 3 units of competency which can be used towards a Coxswain Certificate of Competency at a later date.
Held biennially since 1996, the Sydney Fish Market Seafood Excellence Awards showcase the Australian seafood industry, its value to the national economy, its professionalism, and its commitment to supplying some of the finest seafood in the world to local, national and international markets.
My name is Mitchell Gibbs and I am a Postdoctoral researcher with the University of Sydney. My PhD was in the way oysters were effected by the stressors of climate change over generations and how this affected their energetic reserves and lipid (or fat) profiles. I am now, as a postdoc researcher, looking at the ways traditional indigenous practices around shellfish can better inform the practices we use for shellfish and as such coastal management. Also looking at the in-depth ecological knowledge held within culture.
2. Can you give a brief background of your research and/or findings?
As I have only just started the postdoc it would be too early to give findings for anything, however, through the PhD interestingly we found that the theory of maternal provisioning or investment (the amount of energy given by the mother to young to better equip the young to any stressors) wasn't actually the mechanism that gives benefits to the next generation, this was shown by analysis of larvae about the amounts/types of energy stored. This research built on previous work to show the differences in evolution between Sydney Rock oysters and Pacific oysters. Sydney Rock oysters have evolved in a way that allows them to be out of the water for longer periods becoming a less stressful event but still heavily affected by changes in temperature. This is the opposite for Pacific oysters, Pacific's have evolved in a way that allows them to be better suited to deal with temperature changes rather than being out of water for long periods.
3. How will your research help the oyster industry?
This research helps the oyster industry as it starts to understand the reasons as to why the Pacific and Sydney Rock oysters behave the way they do. It also helps us to know that some events take a greater toll.on the organism than others. Which events we should be considerate of in relation to the oysters and their environment, and as such the oyster leases. This research also gives a lot of information about the way oysters use their energy when they are stressed. This means how much more food an oyster may need to make sure they have the required amount of energy to deal with the stress as well as continue to grow and become nice and fat.
I have been contacted by an oyster grower about the potential interest to establish a SED Oyster Grader Users Forum (e.g. on facebook). Frustrations using and fixing the machine has been expressed, as well as the manual being inadequat. If any other users have similar issues, feel free to email me laura@oceanwatch.org.au and I will pass on the details to the grower who is happy to set up and administer the group.
Tathra Oysters named once again in prestigious President's Medal shortlist
Tathra Oysters continues to wow Royal Agricultural Society judges, again named as a finalist for the prestigious President's Medal.
After an incredible year of competitions showcasing the best of the best in Australia's wine, dairy and fine food produce, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW this week announced the six outstanding finalists of the 15th annual President's Medal.
Blockchain is being used to keep track of organic oysters, protecting them and their buyers from fraud and theft. Developed by Security Matters (SMX), the tracking technique involves connecting the physical and digital worlds in order to allow for a form of provenance and digital genealogy to be established.
The surprising benefits of oysters (and no, it’s not what you’re thinking).
Think of oysters, and what comes to mind? You’ll probably picture a plate of seafood with a generous squeeze of lemon, or you might think of oysters’ reputation as an aphrodisiac. But oysters have many talents beyond their famed gastronomic (and other) qualities.
Oysters also help coastal ecosystems in many different ways, from cleaning the water to sheltering other animals. Yet despite their usefulness, newly published research led by the Nature Conservancy shows that more than 90% of Australia’s shellfish reefs have been lost since European settlement. Unless they can be restored, we risk missing out on their many benefits.
Leaf oysters: the unsung heroes of estuaries are disappearing, and we know almost nothing about them
Camouflaged by a layer of silty mud, most people probably wouldn’t notice the large flat oysters lurking beneath shallow water in Australia’s coastal estuaries. These are remarkable “leaf oysters”, and they can form reefs, produce mauve pearls, and reach the size of a dinner plate.
Of the 14 species of reef-forming oysters and mussels in Australia, leaf oysters (Isognomon ephippium) are the least well known. Our review, published last year, found only 30 publications globally that mention leaf oysters. Half of those were only incidental recordings.
The latest flood event has delivered another devastating blow for oyster farmers on the Mid North Coast. Three million baby oysters, or spat, were delivered to farmers on the Macleay River just days before the floods, but the heavy rains soon meant the water was not salty enough for the oysters, which were only a few millimetres long. "They need salt water to survive. The little ones won't survive in that sort of water," Mr Graham told AAP.
For several days Mr Graham and another oyster farmer drove the spat about an hour by road to a nearby creek "to give them a drink for two hours a day, to keep them alive".
But they needed a long-term solution, so the farmers put out a mayday to the National Marine Science Centre at Coffs Harbour, which has direct access to the ocean.
The aquaculture operations manager at the centre, Stephan Soule, is “babysitting” 3 million juvenile oysters – known as spats and each about the size of a grain of sand – that were rescued from oyster farms in the flooded Macleay River on the Mid-North Coast.
Smoky Bay oyster grower achieves razorfish first for SA
A Smoky Bay oyster grower will be the first to grow and sell razorfish after being granted a lease and licence in a first for the state.
Boylan Oysters owner James Boylan has been granted the first lease and license for razorfish in Australia after working towards this for the past 14 years.
Mr Boylan spoke with The Times about the process he followed to be granted the license and lease, mentioning that the process was completed just days before Christmas last year, outlining what the lease and license will mean for him as a separate company in Smoky Bay.
"Recreationally you can only take 25 each - the license gives me the ability to sell razorfish and the lease gives me the ability to grow them in that certain area," he said.
Australia-based Twelve8 Technology has launched a plastics additive that enables polymers blended with it to decompose naturally, without industrial treatment, within two years. The PaktoEarth RAWS-Tech additive decomposes to water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and less than 1% biomass.
The additive-blended plastic, which is suitable for food packaging, can be recycled. But for post-consumer plastic that “escapes” the recycling process, ending up in nature or landfill, the technology offers an accelerated end of life vs. conventional plastics, which may take hundreds of years to degrade.
“Plastic is a massive threat to our environment. Recycling is a must but not always possible and not always achieved — 84% of plastic waste in Australia ends up in landfill,” Anthony Harrison, CEO, Twelve8 Technology, tells PlasticsToday.“We’re like eco-insurance that takes care of escaped plastic whilst alternatives are found.”
OceanWatch Australia is the National Marine NRM, recognised and supported by the Australian Government through the National Landcare Program.
The NSW Oyster Industry Extension Officer is funded through the NSW Aquaculture Trust and the NSW Landcare Program. The NSW Landcare Program is a collaboration of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW Inc. supported by the NSW Government.
