NSW Maritime calls off oyster compliance campaign

NSW Maritime calls off oyster compliance campaign

NSW Maritime has postponed its month-long oyster industry compliance and education campaign in recognition of the difficult times and damage to many of the North Coast’s oyster crops in recent flooding.

NSW Maritime had scheduled the campaign for the month of April.

“We regularly conduct campaigns involving random checks of vessels used in oyster farming to ensure they are complying with safety regulations,” NSW Maritime North Coast Regional Manager Jim Green said.

“April was set down for such a campaign.

“However, given recent developments which have seen many oyster crates washed away and much of the current crop destroyed, the last thing we want to do is get in the way of the oyster farmers’ clean up and salvage effort.

“We will reschedule this safety campaign for later in the year,” Mr Green said.

Oyster farming takes place year-round in NSW with farming predominantly on the North Coast on estuaries including Wallis Lake, Macleay River, Hastings River and the Nambucca River.