- A farmer was shocked to discover more than 10,000 of his oysters stolen
- James Boylan, an oyster farmer in South Australia, lost 12,000 juvenile oysters
- The theft comes in the middle of a national oyster shortage caused by disease
An oyster farmer was shocked to discover more than 10,000 of his harvest had been stolen by brazen thieves – right in the middle of a national shortage.
Farmer James Boylan found his oyster baskets at Smoky Bay, west of Adelaide, had been emptied by an opportunistic thief.
‘Someone has tipped them upside down on the lines and poured them into tubs and shot off,’ he told 10 News.
Farmer James Boylan found his oyster baskets at Smoky Bay, west of Adelaide, had been emptied by an opportunistic thief
About 12,000 of the juvenile shellfish were stolen in the middle of the night
About 12,000 of the juvenile shellfish were stolen in the middle of the night.
‘I’m not Sherlock Holmes but I would assume that the person doing this knew exactly what they were doing… smaller oysters are only really good to a grower that can finish them off.’
The theft comes as pacific oyster mortality syndrome is having a devastating effect on oysters in Tasmania, where more 80 per cent of South Australia’s oyster larvae come from.
Industry insiders fear an oyster shortage could hit Australia as early as Christmas.
A reward of $1000 has been put up for information on the thieves behind the oyster haul.
‘Anyone who has participated in this will certainly want to watch themselves,’ Mr Boylan said.
The theft comes as pacific oyster mortality syndrome is having a devastating effect on oysters in Tasmania, where more 80 per cent of South Australia’s oyster larvae come from