OYSTER farmers at Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet have been granted approval to export their product overseas. The approval was granted by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service and the NSW Food Authority last week.
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Gaining export approval comes after a number of years during which local farmers were able to demonstrate strong environmental management.
This involved regular monitoring of the Inlet and annual audits by the NSW Food Authority.
Wagonga Inlet farmers work to an environmental management system where they identify all environmental risks and then systematically work to address them through on-the-ground action. These actions might include upgrading to more environmentally friendly infrastructure or raising awareness of catchment issues in local communities.
And export approval has come just in time for those Wagonga Inlet farmers wanting to supply Australia’s Oyster Coast, which commenced its export program into mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore this year.
Australia’s Oyster Coast is exporting three varieties of premium fresh oysters and has worked with farmers and government authorities to support Wagonga Inlet’s export application.
Wagonga Inlet oyster farmers John and Chris Ritchie, David Maidment and Ruben Fernandez became shareholders in Australia’s Oyster Coast specifically with export markets in mind.
“Oysters are a prestige product in Asia and the French dominate that market,” David Maidment said.
“We think our oysters are world class and for the first time, we have a real opportunity to compete with the French and get a good return for our oysters.
“Export is one of the best things we can do to grow our industry and secure its future”.
Australia’s Oyster Coast director Cath Peachey congratulated the oyster farmers of Wagonga Inlet for their commitment and hard work to ensure they met the export benchmark.
“Export approval of Wagonga Inlet is very important to Australia’s Oyster Coast,” Ms Peachey said.
“The Sydney rock oyster and the rarer Angasi flat oyster are both native to Wagonga Inlet.
They are relatively new to Asian market and we have been delighted with the demand for these varieties to date.
Export approval of another estuary in the Australia’s Oyster Coast region also enhances our capacity to supply premium grade fresh oysters to this growing market”.
Ms Peachey said the Shoalhaven would also be approved later this year, while there were longer term plans for Tuross Lake.
But many of the Tuross growers finished their product in Wagonga, meaning they too could export.
“Australia’s Oyster Coast is a premium brand built on the fact that we harvest and ship our oysters direct from the estuaries – we can do this because our estuaries are so clean and well managed,” she said.
“Safety and quality is the number one thing our export customers are looking for.
“And we have a strong advantage as we are the freshest premium oyster supplier in Asia with oysters arriving at the customer’s door within 30 hours of harvest.”
Receiving export approval was helped by support from Eurobodalla Shire Council mayor Lindsay Brown and the Member for Eden Monaro Dr Peter Hendy.
Dr Hendy said he and the mayor had been happy to lobby for the Wagonga Inlet export approval.
“If we can get into these kinds of markets, then it will mean more jobs for Narooma,” he said.
The China Free Trade Agreement had been signed off but now awaited approval from Parliament would in three years eliminate tariffs off agriculture and aquaculture products ranging from timber to dairy, all of which would benefit the Far South Coast.
Mayor Brown said council was working to improve oyster growing conditions in the inlet, having plans to seal the dirt gap section of Riverview Road as well as monitoring erosion and also putting up more no camping signs at the lake banks.
Grower David Maidment said it was great to have active support from the government and council.
“Farmers can only do so much to ensure our waterways remain pristine. Council in particular has committed more resources to maintain the cleanliness of the Inlet and better signage to encourage appropriate behaviour. It’s a big help,” he said.
More information on Australia’s Oyster Coast can be found at www.australiasoystercoast.com