Although this technique did not lend itself to local conditions, it demonstrated the potential of the Sydney rock oyster as a commercial species. Government controls were introduced and this precipitated the introduction of early cultivation practices, the first of which was the establishment of Claires (ponds) based on French cultivation techniques, by Thomas Holt in Gwawley Bay in 1872. The use of oyster shell as a source of lime in cement production resulted in natural oyster stocks being near depletion by the 1860's. With European settlement of the State and a rapidly increasing population, the demand for oysters grew quickly. Some of these middens have been carbon-dated to ten thousand years. The Aborigines on the coastal regions feasted on oysters and shell beds can be found in the many kitchen middens along the coast. While New South Wales can trace its origins to the 19th century, use of natural stocks of oysters in the State has a much longer history. BackgroundĬultivation of oysters is far from a recent innovation, the Japanese were raising oysters as early as 2000 BC and the Romans from about 100 BC. With a current annual production of over 106 million oysters worth over $35 million, oyster farming has been the most valuable aquaculture industry in New South Wales for over 100 years. The Sydney rock oyster ( Saccostrea glomerata) is considered a gourmet's delight and is the main focus of oyster production in the State.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |