Farming oysters from an experienced mussel farmers perspective, we have taken an outside the square look and designed equipment to produce premium quality oysters in deep waters. Intertidal Oyster Solutions Pty Ltd (IOS), established in 2010, has developed aquaculture systems, varying environmental conditions from intertidal, floating and deep-water, on neighbouring longlines. We collect wild-caught angasi spat (seed) on catching slats on our marine farm, and take this spat from larvae through to market size. Trading as The Oyster Province we have sold small commercial quantities of premium quality angasi and Pacific oysters (hatchery spat) into the half-shell market. 

Varying cultivation conditions, improves oyster quality and growth rates:

In ‘artificial*’ intertidal conditions – the oysters are held above the water surface at low-tide

  • where they experience sunlight, air-drying and wave action, this cleans and hardens their shells, which also develop a healthy sheen and become cup-shaped
  • the oysters abductor muscle strengthens 
  • biofouling is kept at bay

*termed ‘artificial’ as the oysters are held above the water at low-tide using floatation; the oysters experience conditions usually only possible in the shoreline intertidal zone. 

Floating sub-surface

  • the oysters are rumbled and cleaned by the wave action, and biofouling is kept under control
  • they become cup-shaped as their shell chips back, increasing their meat to shell ratio i.e. a delicious plump oyster 

Deep-water

  • the oysters continually feed, grow and fatten in the algae rich cold-deep waters
  • when biofouling builds up on the oysters and their baskets over several weeks, they are moved to either the intertidal or floating lines to allow nature to clean and rumble them. 

Growing angasi oysters

Angasis are a sub-tidal species naturally occurring in the deeper waters outside the intertidal zone. At The Oyster Province they are cultivated mainly in deep water, with short durations from time to time in either our deep-water intertidal or floating sub-surface conditions, which enhances their meat quality, keeps them clean, and improves their shell shape and hardness. In contrast, Pacific oysters are an intertidal species, usually grown in the shoreline intertidal zone. Both species thrive in these tailored deep-water growing conditions.

Spat is in seed trays with 3 mm mesh accessing algae rich water. It can take an oyster 6 months or more to reach size suitable for a 6mm mesh basket.

From the seed trays, graded oysters are transferred to Seapa 6mm basket-packs, where a minimal handling approach is adopted. The oysters are graded to size and the numbers lessened/basket as required from time to time, to ensure good water flow and space as they grow.

The angasi shells are thin and easily damaged during early growth. With inter-tidal exposure their shells harden and they are robust.

We use a machine grader, on our barge at the lease, to group the juvenile oysters according to their shell size. For the present we hand grade the bigger oysters to ensure their sealed shells are not chipped by mechanical action.

By 18 months the shells are hardened and growth ridges on the bottom shell show how the oysters have become cup shaped over time.

Oysters are organically grown, filtering natural microscopic algae from their surrounding cold deep waters -oysters cultivated for 3 -5 years.

A huge honour in 2019 winning the Alla Wolf-Tasker Good Food Matters Scholarship and again winning this gold in 2021. We are thoroughly delighted to gain this recognition, bringing attention to our delicious native oyster. Since entering the market in 2016 the interest shown by the Hobart chefs and then winning these delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards gives confidence that we are on the right track. Thanks @deliciousAUS and @harveynormanau and @wolfinkitchen and @lakehousedaylesford for putting a bounce in our step.

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