Trial OzFish Reef in Port River

Following OzFish assuming the lead for the Port River Shellfish Restoration Project in 2022, seventy Robust Oyster Baskets (ROBs) were constructed in November 2022 and then deployed on December 23rd.

Volunteers loading ROBs 23.12.22

In January, National Parks and Wildlife staff, NIkki Zanardo and Darryl Cowan, assisted ECF with collecting our 50 native oysters by boat at Flinders Ports and deploying them on the ROB reef.

NP&WS staff with native oysters for ROB reef  21.1.23

Catherine McMahon and Steve Reynolds (President, Marine Life Society) then visited Flinders Ports to retrieve the remaining baskets.

Steve and Catherine, have regularly visited Flinders Ports since 2017, to check on and clean ECF’s baskets containing native oysters and spat. ECF is very grateful to Steve, and Craig Robertson, for all their efforts with the baskets and thanks Flinders Ports for allowing ECF to use OH8 for our native oyster restoration trial.

Steve Reynolds hauling up oyster basket

Catherine with final oyster baskets 23.1.23

There was evidence of native oyster spat (golden) on the retrieved baskets, which suggests that the oysters had spawned over summer, and will hopefully do so on their new home, the ROB reef.

Native oyster spat on oyster basket 23.1.23