PIRSA Permits enable bagged shell trials

PIRSA has provided Ministerial Permits for the Foundation to undertake trials with clean, bagged recycled shell to attract resident shellfish for:

• small scale intertidal and subtidal reefs in the Inner Harbour, by the posts adjacent to the former ‘Troubridge’ramp
• intertidal low scale ‘reef’ along the Port River banks, north of the Snowden’s boat ramp to enhance protection for our seagrass (Zostera) restoration trial

It’s hoped that mussels, barnacles, jingle shells and other molluscs will find their homes on the intertidal ‘reefs’. The subtidal ‘reefs’ are potential homes for our native oysters, who live subtidally.

For biosecurity reasons, only Pacific Oyster shells sourced from the South Australian oyster industry can be used.

SA oyster growers have surplus shell and our shell has been sourced by The Nature Conservancy from Cowell growers.