There was a recent program on Landline on the ABC featuring local oyster growers and the impact of QX disease.
Oyster farms in Port Stephens have been devastated by QX disease over the last few years with four businesses closing and others laying off staff. The value of the industry has dropped by about $3 million or 30%.
DPI Fisheries study the outbreak by putting oysters in high risk areas for six weeks, then collecting them to see if they show signs of the disease. The results last autumn were encouraging, with only a few of the test oysters giving positive results. All the test oysters in North Arm Cove were free of the disease.
To survive into the future, oyster farmers are having to change their production methods. They are trialling new more resilient breeds of oyster such as the Richmond River Oyster and more resilient Sydney rock oysters that are being bred by DPI. They are also growing Pacific oysters, which are not affected by QX dsease, but do occasionally suffer from a different disease called Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome. The oyster farmers are also growing oysters at times of the year when QX is not as active. It all means that oyster farmers have to be better prepared for disease outbreaks, especially with the unknown impacts of climate change on the oyster industry.
To watch the Landline program, go to https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-10/oyster-farmers-recover-port-stephens-qx-disease-outbreak/104044196
