Speaking at the 18th annual Bluff Oyster Festival the Minister of Fisheries, Phil Heatley, has announced some good news for southern oyster fishermen and the country’s many Bluff oyster fans that the health of the Foveaux Strait oyster beds is improving. He also told that attendees at this weekend’s festival in Bluff should enjoy their oysters in the knowledge that the latest science suggests there are better seasons to come.
It is told that in a recent survey of the Foveaux Strait oyster beds shows oyster numbers have increased, but that the fishery will need to be carefully managed due to the oyster-killing disease Bonamia. The survey, carried out in February by NIWA, shows the numbers of take-able size oysters has increased 16 per cent from about 620 million to 720 million since the last survey in 2007.
The government has predicted that the fishery will continue to rebuild, but Bonamia is still affecting some areas. The current allowed catch is only 7.5 million oysters. But with Bonamia predicted to account for about 50 million oysters this year it remains the major influence on the fishery’s rate of recovery. Heatley informed that these results show the need to look for ways to carefully manage the fishery to reduce the impacts of Bonamia.
It is said that the plan for such recovery was developed jointly by fishery participants and the Ministry of Fisheries, and has already galvanised action on a number of fronts, including: Bonamia research; Targeted fishing; Reseeding and enhancement of beds; New dredge designs, and; Better information and monitoring.
