Coffin Bay oyster Vp illness effects widen as more Eyre Peninsula producers close

SA’s oyster growers may miss out on the Christmas lucrative trade period – with no end in sight to the Coffin Bay closure.

Oyster growers face the prospect of missing out on lucrative Christmas sales amid a lack of certainty over how long it will take to overcome a health scare.

Coffin Bay oyster producers have been rocked by the indefinite government-imposed closure to harvesting and many in other Eyre Peninsula areas have now also voluntarily stopped their operations.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) initially expected the closure, which began on Tuesday, November 16, to be lifted in a week, then extended this estimate to about a fortnight – but a statement on Tuesday gave no expected end date.

It follows a Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) outbreak, which has so far been linked with 69 cases of illness in SA.

The bacteria causes people to experience gastro symptoms if oysters are not kept cool enough.

SA Oyster Growers Association chairman Rob Kerin said it was too early to tell what supply and demand would be like for the shellfish at Christmas, which is traditionally a vital time for growers.

“We’d like to think it’s all cleared up by then but we don’t really know whether that’s wishful thinking or not because who knows what the environment is going to be,” Mr Kerin said.

“We just have to test and make sure that we can work out when it’s safe to go back to harvesting.”

Mr Kerin said producers were still gauging the level of financial impact they would suffer from the closure – one major factor being whether they had sold large volumes of frozen oysters. This would then be caught up in a recall, with buyers eligible for a refund.

Casual workers have been stood down and the sector is predicted to lose millions of dollars.

PIRSA executive director of biosecurity Nathan Rhodes said the department was taking a cautious approach to reopening growing areas.

He said the department would keep the Coffin Bay closure in place until industry and government were confident “any further risk” from Vp had passed.

Mr Rhodes said while the rise in illnesses associated with Vp was being investigated, PIRSA “may not be able to pinpoint the exact source”.

SA Oyster Growers Association chairman Rob Kerin says the sector’s Vp scare will cost growers millions of dollars. Picture: James Elsby

The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is testing oysters and environmental conditions, such as salinity and water temperature, to learn more about Vp and what may be causing the amount of the bacteria to rise in the coastal environment.

Lower Eyre Peninsula Mayor Jo-Anne Quigley said there would be significant flow-on effects in Coffin Bay.

“It’s a huge industry for the area,” she said. “We want them (growers) to know that they’re an important industry for our district and we’ll support them in any way we can.”

When growers’ operations were stymied by the effects of Pacific oyster mortality syndrome (POMS), the council waived boat ramp fees.

Mrs Quigley said despite the closure, it did not appear to be affecting local tourism, with accommodation in Coffin Bay virtually booked out for “weeks and weeks”.

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Originally published as Coffin Bay oyster Vp illness effects widen as more Eyre Peninsula producers close