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Category: Rural / Fishing, Aquaculture / Food and Beverage

Oyster growers facing deadly virus want government help

Sunday, 7 Feb 2016 13:12:12 | Kieran Jones

The head of Tasmania's oyster industry wants government help for growers and workers affected by the spread of Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS).

The virus has spread to four regions across the state, prompting Oysters Tasmania's Neil Stump to call for help.

"We will be approaching both the State and Federal Governments. We believe that they both have a role to play," he said.

"We'll start discussions with the State Government shortly about a recovery package and support for the industry going forward.

"It will not just be lost stock that'll go as the disease front moves through, it will be sometime before leases can be re-stocked.

"We don't know how successful that will be."

Mr Stump said there needed to be support for workers who may face short-term unemployment as the disease spread.

"It will be good to think we won't lose any of our workers, but the reality is we're likely to.

"Growers can't afford to have workers sitting around for six months without any product coming off their farm."

We really do need to get a handle on what the economic impact on the industry is likely to be.

Oysters Tasmania's Neil Stump

Mr Stump said no dollar value had been placed on the amount of damage the industry has suffered so far.

"This week I'll be sitting down with the growers and hatcheries and other key players in the industry and that will be the sort of information we'll try and get a handle on," he said.

"We really do need to get a handle on what the economic impact on the industry is likely to be."

He said there were some contingencies in place should the crisis worsen.

"We are heartened that the salmon industry has come forward and advised that if we have any workers that are about to be re-trenched to notify them and they'll see what they can do to place those workers among their workforce."

No evidence POMS has spread into new areas

No new cases of POMS have been found in Tasmania over the weekend, but industry leaders are bracing for the disease to spread further in Blackman Bay in the coming days.

The deadly virus was detected for the first time in Tasmania at Pitt Water and has spread to four growing regions killing millions of oysters.

POMS is lethal only to Pacific oysters and kills them within hours.

The disease is not harmful to humans.

It is not known how the virus arrived Tasmania or exactly how it is spread.

Mr Stump warned the weather and the water temperature may help the virus take hold in the Blackman Bay area.

"If the virus acts the way it has in other growing areas we will start to see mortalities in the next two to three days," he said.

We're cautiously optimistic about Georges Bay being disease free.

Oysters Tasmania's Neil Stump

"The oysters from Blackman Bay produce very good meat, consistently, and that will be a blow for the industry when POMS does gain a foothold."

Oyster producers in Blackman Bay have been urged to either send what oysters they can to market, or if they've noticed significant deaths, let the disease run its course.

"If they've got any stock that is healthy and is a marketable size, send it to market, because it's perfectly safe to eat," Mr Stump said.

Samples from Georges Bay sent to Sydney for testing have returned negative results.

"So we're cautiously optimistic about Georges Bay being disease-free."

Testing will continue in the St Helens region.

AustraliaPlus


 

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