ShellfishProductioninAustralia

Species:ThemainmolluscanshellfishspeciesharvestedinAustraliaareabalone,oysters,scallops,
andmusselswithmorelimitedvolumesofcocklesandpipis.Suppliescomefrombothwildcapture andaquaculture.Itshouldberememberedthat,asAustraliaisaFederation,muchliketheUSA, manyresponsibilitiesandrolesfalltotheStategovernments,andshellfishsafetyisoneofthose activities,withintheoverarchingguidanceofthenationalAustralianShellfishQualityAssurance Program(ASQAP).

Abalone:
Australiaistheworldslargestproducerofwildcaughtabaloneataround5,000tonspa, representingoverhalfoftheglobalcatchofsome9,000tonspa.,withtheindustryvaluedata beachpricetotalofAU$188million(2009).ThemainspeciesharvestedareBlacklipand Greenlip.ProductionislocatedlargelyinTasmania(55%),Victoria(19.5%)andSouthAustralia (19%),withthemajorityofproductionexportedtoAsianmarkets,primarilyChina(includingHong Kong),JapanandSingapore.

NewZealandandSouthAfricaalsoharvestsignificantvolumesfromthewildfishery,althoughthe majorsourceofincreasesinworldsuppliesinrecentyearshasbeenaquacultureinAustralia outputhasdoubledfrom250tonsin2004toover500tonsin2008(representingaround10%of captureAustralianvolumes). Advancementsinabalonedomesticationandculturetechniqueshavedrivenasharpincreasein Australianabaloneoverrecentyears,productionof700tonsin2010(AU$25million)withthe majorityofthefarmssituatedinTasmania,Victoria,SouthAustraliaandWesternAustralia. Aquacultureproductionofabaloneiscarriedoutonshorebasedfacilitiesandoffshoreseacages, likethewildcaughtsector,themajorityofabaloneisexportedtoAsiancountries.

7000

6000

AbaloneProductionAustralia
(Source:AbareFisheriesStatistics)

5000

4000

3000 2000

1000

Tons

NSW Vic WA SA Tas Australia

 Farmedabaloneinraceways,PortLincoln,SouthAustralia.

Oysters:

Australianoysteroutput(nearly100%ofcommercialproductionisfromaquaculture)hasincreased significantlyoverrecentyears,fromaround10,000tonspain19992002toalevelof12,000tons pain20032005anda2009levelofaround14,000tonspa(valuedatAU$92million).

Therearetwomainspeciescultivated,thelocalSydneyrockoyster(Saccostreaglomerata)grown exclusivelyinNewSouthWales(NSW),withproductioncurrentlyaround4,000tonspa,andPacific oysters(Crassostreagigas),bothdiploidandtriploid(sterile),whichtotalnationallyaround10,000 tonspa.Thenativeflatoyster,Ostreaangasi,isalsocultivatedtoalimitedextent,mainlyforthe exclusiverestaurantmarket.

ProductionisspreadacrossseveralStates,withparticularlystronggrowthoverrecentyearsfromSouth Australia,whichhasbecomethelargestindividualproducerState,withcurrentoutputreachingalmost 6,000tons.MinorvolumesofS.glomerataandC.gigasarecultivatedinQueensland.


18 16 14

OysterProductionAustralia
(Source:Abare FisheriesStatistics)
NSWTotal Tasmania

12 ThousandTons

SouthAustralia TotalAustralia

10 8 6

4 2 0 199899199900200001200102200203200304200405200506200607200708200809200910

http://www.oystersaustralia.org.au/

NewSouthWaleshasathrivingoysterindustry,producingbothSydneyrockandPacific
oystersthelatterarelegallydefinedas anoxiousspecies,somostlytriploid(sterile)Pacifics, importedfromTasmanianhatcheriesarefarmed.FarmingPacificoystersisonlypermittedin5 estuariesinNSW,egPortStephens,whichproduces250,000dozendiploidandtriploidpacific oystersandtheHawkesburyriverwhichproduces300,000dozentriploidpacificoysters.(see otherwebsitereference).

NSWhas76commercialshellfishgrowingareasbetweenEdeninthesouthandTweedHeadsinthe northwitharound300oysterfarmingbusinesseswhichproducedaround6milliondozenoysters (4,690tons)in2009,representingonethirdofAustraliasoysteroutput,valuedatAU$40million (43%ofnationalvalue).

Oyster cultivation areas (Estuaries) inNewSouth Wales

The shellfish quality assurance program is administered by the Food Authority of New South Wales (http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/industrysectorrequirements/shellfish ) whilethegrowersarerepresentedthroughtheOysterSectionoftheNSWFarmersAssociation.

NSWishometothetraditionalAustralianmethodofoystercultivationorstickculture. Natural spatfallsettlesonblocksofcollectorsoftentarorcementcoatedlengthsofwoodorplasticslats.

Followinganinitialstageofgrowththesticksarethenunbundledandongrownonracks.

Finally the oysters areremovedfrom the sticksandgrownintrays andbasketsin high productivityareasof estuaries:

OystershavebeenharvestedforfoodandlimeinNSWsince1788,andthisvintagephotoimage illustratesoysterfarminginNSWaroundthe1920s.

TheNSWoysterindustryhasaproudhistoryofsupplyingqualityseafoodtoanever burgeoningpopulationanddiscerningrestaurantculture!

SouthAustraliaenjoysclean,highqualitywatersinthegrowingareas,whichareinthe
remote,extremelydry(essentiallynorivers),lowpopulationareasoftheState. Cultureofoystersisoceanicratherthanestuarineandoysterfarmersrelyontheseasonal upwellingeventsalongSouthAustraliaswestcoasttopushinnutrientrichwatersthat containsabundancesofplanktonicorganisms,namelydiatoms.Therearecurrently17growing areasconsistingof29harvestingareaswithinSAthatproducePacificoystersandthenative flatoyster.TheSAoysterindustrystartedinthelate1960sandisrelativelynewcomparedto NSWandTasmania.

TheHummocksHarvestingArea,StreakyBay,SouthAustralia.

SAhasadoptedanewadjustablelonglineoystercultivationtechniquethatdiffersfromthe traditionalrackmethod.Theadjustablelonglinesystemletsyoumanagetheoystersmore efficientlyandeconomicallythanthetraditionalmethodsandissimpletoerect,withlower maintenancecostsandhigheryields.Thesystemallowsthegrowertoraiseandlowerthe heightoftheoysterbagsontheline,therebygivingthefarmeramanagementtechniqueto controlshellgrowth,meatcondition,cleaningandrumbling.

LongNose,PortDouglasHarvestingArea,CoffinBaySouthAustralia.

TheindustryisregulatedbyBiosecuritySA,PlantandFoodStandards,aStateGovernment Department(http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa/foodsafety/sasqap). The2009productionof5,848tons(42%oftheAustraliantotal)wasvaluedatAU$33million,35%of thenationalvalue. Theindustryhasanactiverepresentativetradeassociation,theSouthAustralianOysterGrowers Association(SAOGA).TheformalobjectivesforSAOGAarelistedas:

AsustainableoysterfarmingindustryinSouthAustralia; Minimumenvironmentalimpactfromoysterfarming; Equitableaccesstonewfarmingopportunities;and Asecureandcertainbusinessenvironmentforcurrentandfutureinvestorsinoyster farming.

SAOGAsupportsandrepresentsSAoystergrowersataregional,Stateandnationallevel.

FurtherdetailsontheworkoftheAssociation,andNewsandStaterelatedinformationcanbefound ontheSAOGAwebsiteat:http://www.oysterssa.com.au.

TasmaniaisastalwartoftheAustralianoysterindustry,providingbothmajorpopulationsof
PacificoysterspatandseedtoitsownandotherStateindustries,aswellasproducingsignificant volumesofproductfortheconsumer.

Afteraperiodofdeclineinthelate1990sandearly2000s,theTasmanianindustryisshowingsigns ofarobustrecovery,withoutputexceeding3,500tonsin2009,astrongrecoveryofisland productiontoa25%contributiontothenationaltotal.ThetotalvalueofTasmanianproduction(not includinghatcheryoutput)wassomeAU$19million(21%ofoverallAustralianoutput).

Widesweepingbays,pollutionfreewatersandaseafoodconsumingcultureensurethatTasmaniais astrongcontenderinthecompetitionoftheoystergrowingindustryforthatpremiumqualitylabel oforigin!

TraditionalrackandbagcultivationmethodspredominateinTasmaniaifitaintbroke,dontfix it!HowevernoonecanresistnewtechnologyandTasmaniaisslowlyadaptingtohangingbasket technology.

InthewordsofOystersTasmania,aneworganisationtopromotetheTasmanianproduct (http://www.oysterstasmania.org): TheTasmanianoysterindustryisavibrantanddevelopingmarinefarmingsectorinTasmania.The Tasmanianoysterindustrycurrentlyprovidesdirectemploymentforover300people,whoproduce around3.6milliondozenoysterseachyear,withanestimated'farmgate'valueof$20million.

TheTasmanianindustryisanAustralianleaderinculturetechnology.Theindustryisbasedprimarily onthePacificoyster(C.gigas)withhatcheryrearedjuvenilesbeinggrowntomarketsizeon licensedmarinefarms.SincetheestablishmentofthefirstofTasmania'sthreehatcheriesinthe 1980s,growershavebeenabletoaccessreliablesuppliesofspatoysters.Culturetechniqueshave movedfromstickstoplasticmeshbasketsandenvelopes.

Oystersaregrownaroundthenorth,eastandsoutheastcoastsofTasmaniafromthefarnorth westcoastthroughtothesouthernpartoftheDEntrecasteauxChannel,southofHobart.Most areasusedbytheoysterindustryareleasedwithintheintertidalzone,althoughtherearesome deeperwaterareasalsobeingused.Therearecurrentlyabout70licensedgrowers,leasingatotal areaofabout1655ha.

ThebiotoxinmanagementprogramisimplementedbytheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices oftheStategovernment(fortheTasmanianShellfishQualityAssuranceProgramsee: http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/ data/assets/pdf_file/0009/52785/BiotoxManPlan_2008.pdf)

Scallops:
Thescallopfisheryhassimilarcharacteristicstotheindustryelsewhereontheplanet,exhibiting majoroscillationsinproduction,usuallyasareflectionofmarketpriceincentive/disincentive.Total productionhasvariedbetween7,500and15,500tonspaoverthepastdecadeorso,withthe fisherydominatedbyQueenslandandWATasmaniahasrangedfrom0.0to4,800tonspa.
18000 16000

ScallopProductionAustralia
(Source:AbareFisheriesStatistics)

Vic

Qld WA

14000 12000

Tas Tons 10000 8000 Australia (incC'w)

6000 4000 2000 0

NBCw=CommonwealthorFederalwaters

 Mussels,CocklesandPipis:
ThesemolluscsareafinalelementofAustralianproduction,aquacultureandwildcapturerespectively.

4000

3500

MusselandPipiProductionAustralia
(Source:AbareFisheriesStatistics)

3000

2500

Mussels Pipis

1500

1000

500

0 199899199900200001200102200203200304200405200506200607200708200809200910

TheAustralianbluemusselMytilusgalloprovincialisisnativetoAustralia;themusselsare cultivatedalongtheSoutherncoastlinesofAustraliaonhighlymechanisedandmanaged farmsbelowthewaterssurfaceindesignatedmarinegrowingareas.SouthAustraliaisthe leadingproducingStateformussels,with40%(1,340tons)ofnationalproductionin2009, followedbyTasmaniawith1074tons(32%)withtheremainingproductionfromVictoria, WesternAustraliaandsouthernNSW.ItisforecastedthattheAustralianindustrywillreach 4500tonin2012. TheAustralianMusselIndustryAssociation(AMIA)wasformedtoleadandsupportthe developmentoftheMusselindustryinAustralia.Musselgrowersfromaroundthecountry cometogetherundertheumbrellaoftheAMIA,anationalbody,thatenablesplanningand cooperationtoaddressthemanychallengesandopportunitiesfaced.

Tons

2000

http://www.australianmussels.com.au/

 TheAMIAhasamissionto: WorkcollaborativelywithmusselgrowersfromallregionsacrossAustralia; Providestrongleadershipandeffectivegovernanceforthemusselindustry; Providerepresentationandadvocacyformusselgrowerstoexternalstakeholders, industrypartners,governmentsandthebroadercommunity; Communicateourenvironmentalandproductstewardshippracticesthroughoutthe supplychain; DevelopandimplementResearchandDevelopmentplansandprojectsforindustry topromoteinvestmentandboostdiscoveryandadoptionofinnovationbyproducers andchainpartners; PromotethebenefitsofAustralianBluemusselstoourmarketsandthecommunity.
Murray and his mates want us to help end the myth. Have a laugh at http://www.youtube.com/user/AustralianMussels

************************