9 February 2022
Blacklip Rock Oysters from the Territory could soon be on restaurant menus across the world, with a record number of more than one million oysters produced in the first half of this season.
The Territory Government has been working with the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), Yagbani Aboriginal Corporation and Anindilyakwa Land Council to produce the Oysters at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre (DAC).
The DAC has had a busy year developing effective breeding practices for the oysters, registering an official name for the species and sending young oysters to trial sites on Aboriginal communities where they grow to full size.
These trials will provide advice on how to grow these oysters in Territory waters and build local experience and capacity to operate commercial oyster farms in our communities and regions.
The grow out trials of the Oysters at South Goulburn Island has also been a huge success, with thousands of oysters at a mature stage – almost reaching market size.
Blacklip Rock Oysters are native to the Territory, north Australia, and the south Pacific. The tropical climate is optimal for their production and the species (Saccostrea echinata) has now been registered in the Australian Fish Names Standard as Blacklip Rock Oyster.
A Hatchery Protocol for the Blacklip Rock Oyster has been established by the DAC and this is the first reliable guide to breed the species for the industry in the world.
Local communities have also been involved in the grow out trials, installing the equipment, caring for the oysters and collecting the information for the trials.
