The industry advocate reports that licence holders have agreed to limit the catch to 7.5 million oysters, half of the regulated total allowable catch of 15 million. An exclusive member-only club was this week offering one Bluff oyster for $20, said Seafood NZ in its latest newsletter. There was no sign of the bonamia ostreae disease that has destroyed the farmed oyster industry on Stewart Island and in the Marlborough Sounds. At the time NIWA estimated mortality of the mature oysters was as high as 90% - around 1.2 billion shellfish, said Seafood NZ. The season ends on August 31 but most of the boats will be tied up by then, said Seafood NZ.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 08, 2019 01:52 UTC