Shellfish hatchery deal a pearler

Detailed design work for Moruya’s shellfish hatchery will soon be underway.

To be located on land at the Moruya Airport, Eurobodalla Council announced the deal with Sea Perfect (NSW) Pty Ltd that will see the experienced shellfish supplier design, build and operate the $4.8M facility.

The hatchery will supply shellfish spat to local estuaries and other farmers in New South Wales and further afield, primarily Sydney rock oysters but also Pacific oysters and mussels. The hatchery also has potential as a training and research facility, export packing centre, and ‘farm gate’ shopfront for visitors.

Eurobodalla Mayor Liz Innes said it was a complex project in a complex industry.

“Now we’re on track to see the facility built and operating” she said. “It will be brilliant for local growers with real potential to see Moruya and Eurobodalla become a significant supplier of shellfish spat.”

Sea Perfect (NSW) managing director Ian Duthie said the NSW South Coast had a strong reputation for producing excellent shellfish.

“It’s an exciting venture and we’re looking forward to helping ensure local producers have the quality seed needed to grow and develop their businesses, getting more oysters and mussels onto the plates of shellfish lovers,” Mr Duthie said.

Building the state-of-the-art hatchery will include $2.3M in funds from the Australian Government‘s Regional Jobs and Investment Packages program. Council applied for the funding in 2017 after local growers identified sourcing reliable, quality shellfish spat as a major challenge for the region’s shellfish industry.

Find out more on our shellfish hatchery page.