SA’s famed oyster industry preparing for full impact of the Pacific oyster Mortality Syndrome which decimated Tasmanian sector

OYSTER lovers are being warned to prepare for a shortage, as the full impact of a virus that decimated the Tasmanian sector starts to take effect in SA.

Oyster lover Ava Abiad making the most of her favourite Samtass Bros seafood treat before a predicted shortage. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

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THE state’s world-renowned $37 million oyster industry is preparing for a dive in supply and a price rise for the culinary delight.

The full damaging impact of the Pacific oyster Mortality Syndrome, which obliterated the Tasmanian sector last year, was expected to be felt by SA’s industry by Christmas.

Oyster lovers have been told to enjoy the produce now — seasonally, at their best — with SA production numbers not expected to fully recover until mid-2019.
South Australia produces about 55 per cent of the nation’s Pacific oysters each year and a drop in supply has led to interest from the eastern states.

“I’ve heard whispers some of the eastern states are trying to buy the whole stock in advance,” Samtass Bros Seafood retailer Michelle Farinola told The Advertiser.

“We communicate regularly with our growers and we’ve been warned of the shortage and we know pricing will certainly increase.”

South Australian oyster farmers had received 80 per cent of their spat from Tasmania but since the POMS disease outbreak, an import of spat has been banned.

It resulted in more pressure on the then-two SA hatcheries to fill the void, but Oysters Australia president Bruce Zippel said they have been unable to keep up with demand.

“Unfortunately for a range of reasons, there’s nowhere near enough spats,” Mr Zippel said.

“We hoped to minimise production problems and by the end of year have a certain amount of oys ters coming on, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

“Oysters take on average 18 to 24 months to grow and that’s why coming up to the end of this year and into next year the shortage is likely to hit,” he said.

“Growers will shutdown their selling program as they run out of viable stock and wait for the next lot to come through hopefully next year.”

Pristine Oysters Coffin Bay farmer Brendan Guidera produced about five million oysters a year, mainly for the international market, and estimated it would reduced to one third, or 1.7 million oysters.

“Everyone has been keen to get what spats they can (from SA) that they’re taking smaller ones than we would normally get from Tasmania, making it difficult to keep them alive,” Mr Guidera said.

“We don’t expect we’ll get back to normal production for another 18 months.” Primary Industries and Regions SA’s fisheries and aquaculture policy director Sean Sloan said the two SA hatcheries had received grants to boost production and two oyster hatchery licence applications had been fast-tracked. One of the new hatcheries announced last year only opened in Cowell this week.