Oysters and dairying in the North West

On December 4 2009, Oysters Tasmania and DairyTas held a joint industry meeting to discuss the interaction between the two sectors.

This workshop was made possible by cash and in-kind support from DairyTas and in-kind support from Oysters Tasmania.

We thank our industry and research presenters for giving freely of their time and expertise to the workshop:

• Jon Poke, Managing Director, Bolduans Bay Oysters
• Mark Smith, Executive Officer, DairyTas
• Greg Holz, Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
• Bill Cotching, Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
• Christine Crawford, Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute
• Kirsten Verburg, CSIRO Canberra

Thanks also go to Philip Spratt, for his effective workshop facilitation, to the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association for hosting a pre-workshop planning meeting, and to DairyTas and Bolduans Bay Oysters for providing post-workshop cheese and oysters.

Summary – current knowledge, future planning

Workshop

The workshop was held in Smithton, as a key focus has been on the interactions between dairy and oyster farming in that area. It was attended by 21 people including dairy and oyster farmers and industry representatives, government representatives and individuals from Tasmanian and interstate research organisations.

The “current knowledge” section was addressed through presentations as shown in the workshop agenda (below); “future planning” was addressed during the final session, where the issues and concerns from the day were examined, discussed and prioritised.

Three key concepts came out of the workshop:

1. That continued open communication between oyster and dairy stakeholders will be welcomed by both sectors.
2. That efforts to reduce any impacts on the oyster industry should concentrate on minimising coliform levels in estuarine waters
3. That efforts should focus on ensuring that the current closure window (typically July-September) does not widen and, if possible, is reduced at both ends

Where to from here?

It was agreed that DairyTas and Oysters Tasmania will work together to:

• Establish an ad hoc working group to:
• Ensure communication channels are kept open and functional
• Hold another workshop in 12-15 months to hear from continuing research projects
• Ensure that, where appropriate, current and future projects regarding run-off and effluent flow in this area integrate collection of data relating to the source, route and sinks for coliform bacteria in the Duck and Montague estuaries.
• Explore and develop a project specifically designed to improve understanding of:
• The factors that influence the levels of coliform bacteria in these estuaries
• Methods to minimise the closure of local oyster leases due to coliform levels