Posted February 23, 2017 16:00:47

Access to superior commercial genetic stock for the first time is boosting morale of New South Wales oyster farmers.

Major disease outbreaks over the past decade have contributed to a steady decline in oyster production and the number of farmers.

Veteran oyster grower Tony Troup said access to new superior stock would finally modernise the industry.

Mr Troup produces about 20,000 dozen Sydney Rock oysters and young oyster spat at his lease at Camden Haven, near Laurieton on the mid north coast of New South Wales.

He said access to new superior stock would finally modernise the industry.

"The breeding program will hopefully bring the oyster industry up into the 21st century," he said.

"We have been relying on basically wild stock for the duration of our industry which is now 150 years old.

"I'm hoping the breeding program will really lift our production and reduce our cost rates."

The young oyster spat used in his hatchery was developed through years of research by the Department of Primary Industries.

It is more resistant to deadly diseases like QX and winter mortality, which have hit the industry hard.

Scientist Michael Dove said a move away from mass breeding using wild oyster stock and to a family breeding program had allowed research to be fast-tracked by years.

"It can shave years off before we actually get the data and with QX we can get that data one year earlier.

"For condition, we can get that data one year earlier than if we bred through the normal part of the season," Mr Dove said.

Select Oyster Company, a company run by NSW Farmers, is now managing the breeding program and distribution of its hatchery stock.

Operations manager Emma Wilkie said it was their job to get the new genetics onto farms.

"The selective breeding program is decades old and the amount of research that has gone into it is phenomenal," she said.

"It is a very sophisticated breeding program and on par with salmon, wheat, cattle and now it is commercial so we are getting the genetics onto the farm."

Despite better stock, there are still perennial challenges with naturally occurring bacteria that can build up in oyster populations.

Biologist Chantal Gionet is a shell fish consultant from the east coast of Canada and has been working with growers to control vibrio.

"Vibrio is an issue for anyone in the world in a hatchery because vibro is natural in the wild.

"When you bring them (oysters) into a closed environment, it's warmer, it will bloom in your tanks. it just promotes growth," Ms Gionet said.

Tony Troup from Camden Haven said Ms Gionet's work on controlling vibrio had made a fantastic difference.

I start the run with something like 100 million oysters and hopefully go to set with 10 to 20 per cent of those.

"They would have been all dead in the first week if she wasn't here," he said.

Tony Troup remains hopeful the industry does have a future.

"If we can get this breeding program really up and going, we will be onto something and the industry will really start to grow."

"I must be an optimist, I've been in the industry now 30 years and I keep thinking it is about to get better, and it still hasn't quite got better yet!"

Topics: fishing-aquaculture, research, marine-biology, laurieton-2443

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Oyster growers hopeful new genetics boost quality - ABC Online