We use aquaculture equipment designed to produce the best quality fresh oysters while being kind to the environment. Our floating flip bags and hanging baskets, made from 100% recycled and UV stabilised plastics, produce high quality oysters by allowing them to move around in tandem with the natural tides and flows of the river whilst accessing maximum nutrients from the water column.
A well-kept secret is that oysters keep the waters they live in clean and purified. How do they do it? They filter the water around them by removing nitrogen from the water as they feed and excrete nitrogen and phosphate as plant food. Oysters are capable of filtering 200 litres of water a day. This purifying process allows more light to penetrate the water column and encourage seagrass growth.
Shoalhaven oyster farmers work tirelessly to ensure the estuary encompassing the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers is kept clean for the benefit of all users of the river, whether recreational or commercial, and to ensure public health. We do this by adhering to the NSW Shellfish Quality Assurance Program which includes a regime of regular and stringent water testing, in addition to lobbying and working with stakeholders in government, private industry and agriculture. If the water isn’t clean, we don’t harvest, it’s as simple as that.
