Historically angasi native oysters, Ostrea angasi, were enjoyed by coastal aboriginal people. There are widespread and abundant shell middens around the southern coastlines of Australia. Resembling the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis (Belon oysters), angasi were also popular with early European settlers, as a result of unsustainable harvesting their numbers became depleted.
Today angasi remain a rarity with only a few marine farms growing small numbers. They take twice as long as Pacific oysters to reach market size and are challenging to cultivate.
Angasi are a sub-tidal species, so they naturally prefer deeper waters, but if grown solely in deep water they do not develop the best features. Their shells become soft and chalky, and covered in biofouling, making them vulnerable to predator attack. At The Oyster Province our innovative deep-water aquaculture techniques are proving successful, sustainably providing a perfect mix of environments for this native species to thrive.