OYSTERS TODAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27317, 17 February 1950, Page 4

OYSTERS TODAY

EXPECTED AT NOON HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT No oysters arrived in Dunedin yesterday for> public sale, but supplies are expected to be on the market at mid-day today. It is expected that fish shops and cafes will have them by that time. Those fortunate people in Dunedin who have been in Invercargill since late on Wednesday afternoon have already had the opportunity to sample these delicacies. Although several theories have been advanced about the establishment of the rich oyster beds in Foveaux Strait, the one generally accepted is that they were dumped off the schooner Otago in 1837. The manager of the Riverton whaling station, Captain Howell, had gone to New South Wales in that year to import cattle to Southland. The Otago went to Sydney under charter and loaded the cattle and several sacks of oysters. Extremely heavy weather was experienced on the return voyage to New Zealand and the ship’s captain decided to make a run for Bluff instead of Jacob’s river. The fury of the storm remained unabated and the oysters were thrown overboard near Dog Island. It is generally thought by the earlier settlers in Bluff that these few sacks of oysters formed the nucleus of the present rich beds in the area.

Oysters were discovered near Stewart Island by Captain Charles Brett in his vessel Redwing in the early 60’s and since that time they have been trawled for each year. There seems to have been little or no decrease in the supplies available. A Government regulation prohibits trawling for oysters between October and February 14.