Entire harvest of oysters taken in well-coordinated dead-of-night heist

An entire harvest of oysters, valued at $12,000, has been stolen from a southeast Queensland oyster farmer in what was described as a “well-coordinated heist” amid fears for restaurant supplies.

Bulimba Oyster Company's entire second harvest has been stolen in a major blow to the oyster industry.

An entire harvest of mature oysters, valued at $12,000, has been stolen from a farm off North Stradbroke Island in another devastating blow to Queensland’s oyster industry.

The harvest of more than 7000 oysters was stolen from new grower Bulimba Oyster Company in Deanbilla Bay earlier this year.

About 600 dozen, or 7200, oysters were stolen from Bulimba Oyster Company. The value was about $12,000.

The well-coordinated theft saw 60 baskets with approximately 600 dozen oysters stolen.

The Courier-Mail understands the “well-coordinated heist” occurred in the dead of night with the harvest only accessible via boat.

This year’s theft has not only stripped Kieron Gait, one of the seven growers behind Bulimba Oyster Company, of their second-ever harvest but has also jeopardised their contracts with Brisbane restaurants and individual buyers, casting a shadow over the reliability of Queensland’s oyster supply chain.

The stolen baskets also contained Queensland Sunshine oyster spat, some of which were dumped into the water, while others remain missing.

Oyster spat grows into adult oysters and is critical for the future of the oyster industry.

“This was not just a financial loss - it’s a crushing blow to our morale and our ability to move forward as a new producer,” Mr Gait said.

Queensland Oyster Growers Association and chair of the Queensland Oyster Industry Network professor Andrew Robson said this was the third year in a row that the area has experienced a “well-organised heist of this scale”.

The harvest was only accessible by boat, with the theft described as a “well-coordinated heist”.

Last summer more than $25,000 worth of oysters were stolen in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2023.

“These thefts are devastating. For new growers like Bulimba Oyster Company, this could mean the difference between staying in the industry or closing down altogether. The theft of stock, spat, and infrastructure undermines the years of dedication that growers put into producing premium oysters for Queenslanders – which take three years before they can be harvested,” Professor Robson said.

“The Queensland oyster industry is growing, but thefts like these put its future at risk.”

Mr Gait said the incident also threatened the broader initiative to “safeguard the Queensland oyster industry from devastating diseases”.

Since starting, the company has participated in a Department of Primary Industries aquaculture research project, helping to develop an oyster resistant to the QX disease.

QX is a seasonally occurring disease impacting Sydney Rock Oysters.

Removing oysters from commercial leases without permission is a crime under Section 87 of the Fisheries Act 1994, and carries severe penalties.

“If you see suspicious activity around commercial oyster leases, such as unfamiliar boats or jet skis removing oyster bags, or notice oysters being sold through unusual channels at discounted prices, please report it to police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” Professor Robson said.

Originally published as Entire harvest of oysters taken in well-coordinated dead-of-night heist