ABSTRACT
Pacific oysters are produced mainly in Tasmania, Australia, with limited production on several leases in South Australia. Tasmanian production has shown steady growth and is restricted primarily by shortages of seed stock, first from the Tamar and in the early 1980s from the hatchery. Almost all Pacific oysters are eaten in Australian restaurants, where they are supplied live or more frequently “opened on the half-shell”. With adequate supplies of spat, growing of Pacific oysters in Tasmania is set to expand, and it is considered that production will be about 50 million per year by 1990. Industry development has been characterized by the combined efforts of government and industry in developing techniques for growing single oysters, which were unknown to Tasmanian growers prior to 1980. Evolution of techniques for growing and handling is done by industry and includes mechanized system development, e.g., graders.
