South Coast oyster farmers are facing a lengthy clean-up following the recent rain event during which rivers and estuaries were littered with debris and their leases closed.
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However, it's not all doom and gloom for producers, with many set to reopen before Christmas.
All oyster-producing estuaries south of Sydney were closed after some areas were hit with up to 350 millimetres of rain in 24 hours.
There are 50 oyster farming businesses on the Sapphire Coast, collectively producing more than 21 million oysters in 2022/23, equating to about 35 per cent of the state's oyster production.
While there will be a decline in the supply of South Coast oysters leading into Christmas, consumers can rest assured South Coast oysters will be on the market, according to Sapphire Coast Wilderness Oysters (SCWO) industry support officer, Anna Simonds.
"If weather conditions stay favourable, the North Coast should be able to offer a steady supply for NSW and cover shortfalls from the south," she said.
Ms Simonds supports producers in Bermagui River, Wapengo Lake, Nelson Lagoon, Merimbula Lake, Pambula Lake, and Wonboyn Lake.
She said several farmers were still trying to salvage lost equipment, such as oyster baskets swept away in floodwater.
"Realistically, the clean-up of flood-impacted oyster leases can take several weeks as more debris flows down the catchment," she said.
"While most heavily impacted leases have now had emergency repairs completed - many of these will be temporary until the farmer has the time and resources to rebuild/replace the damaged infrastructure completely.
"Some estuaries were more significantly impacted by recent weather events than others - Pambula Lake and Wonboyn Lake suffered from significant catchment inflows."
Oyster mortality can peak during substantial rain events, followed by associated periods of low salinity, meaning oyster health was foremost in farmers' minds, according to Ms Simonds.
"We're keen for salinity to return as soon as possible to give our oysters their best chance at survival," she said.
"One thing that was noted in this rain and flood event, when compared to other recent events, was the volume of cut timber and burn piles washing into the impacted estuaries, and in turn, significantly damaging oyster leases.
"Many local oyster farmers are rural landholders themselves, so they understand the necessity for bushfire season preparation, but as an industry, we would appreciate it if local landholders could keep this issue in mind when placing burn piles and the like close to riverbanks."
How long the leases will remain closed is still being determined, as they rely on tidal flushing to return water quality and salinity to acceptable levels.
Some estuaries, such as Pambula Lake, will take longer to recover due to the significant catchment inflows.
Others, like Merimbula Lake, the biggest producer of oysters in NSW in 2022/23, are expected to reopen sooner.
Nelson Lagoon, north of Tathra, reopened on Tuesday. However, the remaining Sapphire Coast oyster-producing estuaries remain closed for harvest.
Local farmers are hopeful that further estuaries will reopen before Christmas.
"The NSW Shellfish program is world-class, so consumers can be confident that our estuaries will not reopen until water quality has returned, ensuring the safety of our high-quality and much-loved oysters," Ms Simonds said.
Prior to the rain event, 2023 had been a good year for Sapphire Coast oyster farmers after a challenging period.
Ms Simonds said the outlook for the local industry was overwhelmingly positive, with demand for Sapphire Coast oysters strong and farmgate prices at record highs.
"The timing of this rainfall event and associated estuary closures is unfortunate - especially for farmers whose businesses rely on the lucrative Christmas sales period," she said.
"But we are at the mercy of the weather.
"Notwithstanding, there are a number of farmers whose businesses and oyster leases have been significantly impacted, so it's likely to take this group of farmers months, if not years, to recover.
"Therefore, this cohort will no doubt be feeling defeated and less positive about the current situation, but they have the support of their industry behind them."
Meanwhile, on the North Coast, Wallis Lake was the most recent estuary to reopen, on Tuesday.
"We hope the South Coast closures provide an opportunity for our North Coast friends whose estuaries are open and who have also endured a very challenging few years and could do with a bumper Christmas season," Ms Simonds said.
Hayley Warden
Hayley Warden is a digital journalist with ACM Agri based on the NSW South Coast.
Hayley Warden is a digital journalist with ACM Agri based on the NSW South Coast.
