Collaborative flood recovery efforts in the NSW oyster industry
Industry: Aquaculture, Oyster Industry
Enterprise mix: OceanWatch Australia, Seafood Industry Australia, NSW Farmers Association and Sapphire Coast Wilderness Oysters.
Location: South East, North Coast, Greater Sydney and Hunter Regions
The impact of the 2022 floods on the oyster industry
The NSW oyster industry faced an estimated $18.7 million in damages and losses following the devastating flooding and storm events of 2022. The impacts included the loss of equipment, infrastructure, oyster stocks and supplies, along with months of disruption due to water contamination.
In response to this crisis, 4 industry organisations that support aquaculture received funding from the Early Needs Recovery Program. Alongside NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) these organisations provided crucial support to help oyster growers recover from and prepare for future flood events.
The 4 aquaculture industry organisations involved were:
Oyster growers faced significant financial strain and mental health challenges due to repeated disasters including floods, droughts, bushfires and disease outbreaks.
Due to these repeated disasters, impacted growers had a broader range of needs than originally anticipated and limited time to spend off farm, which required industry organisations to join forces to provide support.
The Oyster industry supported by the aquaculture industry organisations. Image: Department of Primary Industries
Unified support for the oyster industry
The 4 industry organisations received $179,177 in grant funding and together with NSW DPI planned workshops and open days, produced educational resources and provided training to support recovery efforts.
Some of the activities delivered by the industry organisations included:
- facilitated activities and resources included: hosting workshops to support growers on different production and management techniques, writing grant applications and focusing on mental health
- hosting hatchery open days to showcase new technologies for handling young oyster spat from nurseries and development roll out of wet storage guidelines
- providing ongoing educational resources such as videos and fact sheets to support ongoing improvement in the industry
- providing first aid training to meet safety requirements.
Where possible, OceanWatch, NSW Farmers and Seafood Industry Australia collaborated to deliver tailored workshops, allowing each organisation to discuss the focus of their projects, while respecting busy oyster farmers’ time.
NSW DPI explored options for reusing oyster shell waste, aiming to turn disposal cost into a potential commodity for growers. Collaborative efforts between NSW DPI, industry stakeholders and local councils led to strategies for enhancing water quality in estuaries and fostering dialogue and cooperation through round table discussions and workshops.
This project provided support to oyster growers in NSW to further their skills and knowledge, with the objective of building a more resilient and productive oyster industry. Image: Department of Primary Industries
Resilience for the oyster industry
The industry groups collaborated regularly, discussing oyster industry challenges, project activities and ways to work together to support the oyster industry.
These combined efforts fostered resilience, unity and learning opportunities for growers, providing a supportive network during adversity. The activities also offered growers a break from farming and the chance to network with their peers.
“This grant enabled our industry to provide a focussed response to the affected sectors. This supported them during the highly ‘hands-on’ recovery period knowing that there was a back-up support mechanism available via the Stay Afloat program.”
Jo Marshall, Wellbeing Programs Manager, Seafood Industry Australia.
“Traditionally, many growers are not accustomed to handling hatchery-reared stock, but this program has given them the knowledge they need to access stock from hatcheries on demand. For many businesses, this has unlocked the door to a new source of disease-resistant, fast-growing stock that will enable them to build a more resilient enterprise and cope with a range of challenges to production into the future.”
Georgia Campbell, Projects Manager, NSW Farmers.
Oyster farmers have been supported through workshops and training. Image: Department of Primary Industries
Relevant Resources
- NSW Farmers Handling Hatchery Spat video series Working with Hatchery Spat and supporting fact sheets
- Seafood Industry Australia Stay Afloat Mental Health and Wellbeing factsheets