Limited oyster season announced

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 13

Limited oyster season announced

PA Invercargill A limited Foveaux Strait oyster season will be held next year, in spite of a parasite threat which closed this year’s season five weeks early. In a meeting with local oyster industry interests, the Ministry of Fisheries and the New Zealand Fishing Industry Board announced that a season was to begin on March 1, but the number of oysters landed would be almost halved.

The total quota for the season will be only 64,400 sacks for the 23-boat fleet, a 44 per cent reduction of the usual 115,000 sacks. The oyster season was closed five weeks early after fishermen reported extensive deaths among oysters in the western beds. The problem was later identified as bonamia — a similar species to that which ravaged the European farmed oyster fishery in the late 19705.

The finding gave rise to speculation that the epidemic was accidentally

introduced to Foveaux Strait and if so beds were unlikely to recover fully. The deputy chairman of the Fishing Industry Board, Mr Fred Baird, said extensive Ministry research during the last five months indicated that bonamia was endemic to Foveaux Strait and that the oysters would have a natural resistance, to it. “We have looked at the disease and our findings indicate it appears and disappears,” he said. “We are inferring it is cyclic but as yet that has not been proved.” Whether the fishery looks set to recover, the Ministry is leaving nothing to chance and throughout the season it will monitor catch rates, fish returns and oyster quality.

Mr Baird said if there was a change in the fishery which would upset the management proposals, the seasonal quota would be reviewed.

“At present we are basing our limit having taken into consideration both the biological and econo-

mic needs of the industry,” he said. “Had it been only biological the season may have been closed altogether to eliminate all risk. But people’s livelihoods are at risk and so we have to allow for that.”

Restrictions on trawling and dredging in Foveaux Strait are likely to be imposed, but as yet the Ministry has not decided what guidelines will be laid down.