Oyster Industry

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. Minister, what measures has the state government introduced to protect and develop the state's oyster industry?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (14:45): I thank the member for Kaurna for the question, and note that he is an avid eater of oysters. The oyster industry is very important for South Australia, and it is worth $68 million a year to the local economy.

One of the big threats that we have at the moment is a disease called Pacific oyster mortality syndrome (POMS). It is something that went through New South Wales in 2010 and again in 2013, and in February this year was detected for the first time in Tasmania. As soon as we heard about it, we actually put a stop on the movement of any oysters around South Australia.

Once we determined that POMS had not reached here, we lifted that ban, but we kept a ban that we had also put in on the importation of oysters or spat (which are the juvenile oysters) from Tasmania. That ban will stay in place at least until July this year while we work through what the next steps are with the oyster industry.

I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago with the oyster growers from across Eyre Peninsula in Port Lincoln, and one of the big problems we have had is that, over the years, Tasmania has done a terrific job in having really strong breed stock. So, when they have been producing the spat, 80 to 90 per cent of the spat that is being used here and grown out by our oyster growers has actually come from Tasmania. This has meant that our breeding has not developed to the state that it should have.

We have two growers who are providing juvenile oysters over on Eyre Peninsula, but they can only provide about 10 to 15 per cent of the requirements that we will need. In the short term, we are going to be okay, but mid to longer term, we need to come up with a solution for that. So, our South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) are doing a terrific job in helping deal with this emergency situation. They have also undertaken to breed spat there as well to try to supplement what the industry needs.

In no way do we want to compete with two private companies that are out there doing it; we will not be undercutting them or anything else. But, when I spoke to these oyster growers, they were very pleased to hear that that is something that we would do. It is a good insurance measure for them and for us.

As I said, it is an industry that is worth $68 million to the state, and we will keep working with everyone on Eyre Peninsula, including the member for Flinders. He and I were at a briefing last sitting week given by Professor Mehdi Doroudi from PIRSA, and the message that I got back from the oyster growers on Eyre Peninsula was that they were very pleased with the work that PIRSA, Biosecurity SA and SARDI have been doing.

We will continue to work with everyone over there to make sure that this vital industry is not only kept safe from POMS, but will also grow and prosper in the future. One of the ways we are helping to do that is by providing certificates in English and Chinese. So far, there are six aquaculture companies on Eyre Peninsula who we have provided with these certificates: Clean Seas Tuna, Tony's Tuna International, the Stehr Group, Angel Oysters, Dinko Tuna Farmers, and Pristine Oyster Farm.

I got a text message the other day from Brendan Guidera at Pristine Oyster Farm and he sent me a photo with the Chinese looking at this certificate, which says that this government provides a declaration that this company is a good company that produces premium food from our clean environment. We will continue to work with other sectors to roll out that program.