Tilligerry oyster growers join Tide to Tip cleanup Port Stephens Port Stephens News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 1, 2023 This year some 37 farmers made Henderson Park the focal point of the clean-up.PHOTO 2: Local farmers with rubbish retrieved from the bay. PACIFIC oysters are fast growing and give the farmers a shorter turnover time. What’s more they largely escaped the recent QX disease which wiped out vast numbers of the Sydney Rock variety. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Those farmers who had both types were assured of income from their Pacifics – until recently. These oysters do not like hot water and thrive in New Zealand, Tasmania and the southern states of the mainland. The recent death of up to 75 percent of the Pacifics was a shock to growers and the cause is still not known. That’s why a team of researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) is hot on the trail. The Pacifics (Magellana gigas) previously suffered from the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS) in 2010 and 2011 but have recovered since then. Their rapid spread means that the traditional farmers need to hand cull them from their other oysters which involves many hours of intense labour. Pacifics comprise around 20 percent of oysters sold, they can live for about eight years and are worth $1.5 million to the economy. One farmer who has grown them for over 20 years believes that the cause is “more than hot water”. “I believe that something else is killing them,” he said. There were no Pacific Oysters in Port Stephens until they suddenly exploded some 20 to 30 years ago. Growers had to take all of their stock off their leases and keep them high and dry until they died. Since then, they have been able to be farmed alongside the Sydney Rocks. Quality assurance is paramount in the oyster industry with growers paying for water quality, purification and other testing. Some complain that they are not the ones creating pollution but have to pay for problems caused by others. For years now, local farmers have had a big clean-up ‘Tide To Tip’ day conducted under the umbrella of ‘Oceanwatch’ which assists in this very important environmental initiative. This year some 37 farmers made Henderson Park the focal point of the clean-up. After the bay was scoured for rubbish, a BBQ lunch had the growers interacting and exchanging information of mutual interest. A great day was had by all and we, the public are all the better for it. By Geoff WALKER Brian Hughes, Mark Salm, Simon Turner and Paul North firing up the BBQ. Emma Wilkie and Laura Stoltenerg from Oceanwatch chipping in at the cleanup. Large amount of marine debris and rubbish was cleared from the waterway. The Tide to Tip clean-up is run annually by Oceanwatch.
