Introduction

The edible oyster species currently cultured in Australia include the sydney rock oyster (Sacostrea glomerata), the pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), the flat oyster (Ostrea angasi), the milky oyster (Sacostrea cucullata) and the blacklip oyster (Striostria mytiloides).

Australian production of sydney rock oyster (mainly from New South Wales) peaked at 13 million dozen in the mid-1970s and has been trending downward since then. Australian production in 2001-02 was 7.6 million dozen. Production of the introduced pacific oyster (grown in Tasmania, South Australia, and at Port Stephens, New South Wales) has risen to 7.0 million dozen. This small increase in overall production of edible oysters during a time of substantial population increase indicates declining per person consumption and the use of oysters as an entree in Australia.

( REF. Australian Aquaculture. Industry profiles for selected species)

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