State Government funds SARDI research project for another year to protect oyster industry
South Australian scientists have received extra funding to breed disease-resistant oysters to safeguard the $37 million industry into the future.
SOUTH Australian scientists have received extra funding to continue breeding disease-resistant oysters to safeguard the $37 million industry into the future.
The Federal Government yesterday tipped $137,000 into an SA research program to ensure the work by SARDI scientists continues into a third year.
It comes after the detection of the deadly virus, Pacific oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), in feral oysters in Adelaide’s Port River, in February.
Primary Industries and Regions SA contained the virus which could have decimated the state’s eight commercial growing regions if it had escaped.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone said the industry had been on high alert since the detection of POMS.
“POMS is ... very aggressive, spreads fast and can kill entire Pacific oyster farms within days of them being infected,” Mr Whetstone said.
“This threat is understandably a big concern for everyone linked to the state’s oyster industry.
“Having POMS-resistant oysters … will help protect us against any potential outbreak and help local growers avoid the losses sustained by their interstate counterparts.”
Tasmania’s oyster industry was decimated by POMS in 2016, which had provided SA growers with 80 per cent of their spat (larvae).
Since then, SA hatcheries have struggled to fill orders and has resulted in the industry going through a 50-70 per cent dive in production until mid-2019.
The state’s disease-resistant research program has been funded by industry-owned Australian Seafood and SA oyster growers.
It is led by SARDI’s aquaculture science leader, Professor Xiaoxu Li, who has more than 30 years experience in bivalve aquaculture and genetics.
The oyster spat will be reared at SARDI’s aquaculture breeding centre at West Beach, which underwent a $360,000 upgrade to create a purpose-built facility.
The Federal Government and industry has also funded a national $11 million Future Oysters CRC-P project which includes oyster breeding, among other elements.