While large, good condition, well-shaped oysters have high
market value, they require optimal growing conditions and labour
intensive techniques to culture. To handle this NSW oyster
growers are progressively moving towards innovative
technologies, one of which allows automated bulk processing of
oysters. Growers now purchase sophisticated graders that clean,
count and sort large number of oysters quickly and efficiently.
While graders are routinely used to count and sort oysters into
batches of similar size, these machines are actually measuring
the characteristics of individual oysters. This presents an
unprecedented opportunity to collect high-quality oyster growth
and growing area performance data. This project focuses on the
assessment of oyster lease and cultivation method performance.
This can be translated into a management tool for improving the
industries’ productivity and environmental sustainability. The
project also demonstrates the possibility of implementing a long
term oyster performance monit