New South Wales (NSW), Australia-based oyster-farming firm Latitude 31 Oyster Company recently reported a massive theft of oysters from its Manning River oyster farm.
The New South Wales Police Department reported that an estimated value of USD 350,000 (EUR 300,462) worth of oysters were stolen near the town of Taree; employees reported the theft on 25 August.
About 320 oyster bags with 400,000 juvenile oysters were stolen from the property, the NSW police said in a release. Police have since launched an investigation into the crime scene.
“We’re putting this post out to the farming community because we need everyone to keep an ear out,” Latitude 31 Oyster Company said on Facebook. “If you hear of anyone who has suddenly come into possession of, or is trying to move, a large quantity of oysters in the cocktail/bistro size range, particularly if they can’t provide a legitimate source, please take note. The oysters that have been stolen are not ready for immediate sale and will need to be grown for at least another four to six months.”
Additionally, the company said there is a large quantity of Zapco Aquaculture 8-millimeter tumblers missing, which are mesh tubes within which juvenile oysters grow safely underwater. The company continued to stress that the oyster theft will affect the company for months to come due to the long grow-out time of oyster farming.
“We’re not suggesting that anyone should confront or accuse anyone, but due to the quantity and large scale of the theft, we believe it would need to be someone with the ability to shift the livestock,” the company said. “There are a lot of good people in this industry, and we know farmers look out for each other. Please share this with other NSW oyster growers and keep your ears to the ground.”
The theft comes at a time when the Manning River District is still recovering from devastating floods, which wiped out populations of oysters across the region.
