The EPA has developed a suite of four checklists for the key elements of oyster farming to help oyster growers determine whether they are meeting their environmental obligations.
Staff from the EPA’s Science branch recently attended the SA Oyster Growers’ Association (SAOGA) Forum in Streaky Bay to launch the checklists, which reflect the requirements of the Code of Practice for the environmental management of the South Australian oyster farming industry.
Checklists are available for marine farming sites, oyster depots where grading, packing, and equipment maintenance and storage takes place, the use of vehicles and vessels such as oyster punts, tractors and forklifts, and the hatcheries where oyster spat is grown.
As well as assisting oyster growers, the checklists can be used by government agencies to check compliance with environment protection legislation during site visits.
Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) manages aquaculture licences, with the EPA assessing and providing comment on all new licence applications, variation of licence conditions, and lease conditions.
If you have any comments or suggestions to improve either the code or the checklists, please email EPAScience@sa.gov.au.