13.2 The Wallis Lake Estuary Management Committee - Great Lakes ...

Wallis Lake Estuary Management Plan
Comments for strategy O.1
The OISAS project is a strategic initiative of the oyster industry and NSW Government designed to ensure the long-term viability and recovery of the oyster industry in NSW, in
particular the Sydney Rock Oyster. The strategy will include a code of conduct, a compliance strategy for oyster aquaculture leases and environmental monitoring regimes. Priority
aquaculture zones that are compatible with oyster farming requirements, community concerns and navigation will be identified in Wallis Lake with guidelines for facilitating council
planning processes for oyster growing area protection measures, water quality objectives and best practice measures. A draft of the OISAS will be available in 2004.
SEPP62 encourages sustainable aquaculture in NSW. However, in its current form it does not apply to natural water based aquaculture such as oyster farming. An oyster industry
development plan for Wallis Lake will address any possible environmental consequences associated with intensive oyster farming.
The Aquaculture Lease Survey Project was designed to enable more accurate system to reliably and precisely determine the boundaries of all aquaculture leases. In addition, this
project will allow this data to be stored alongside quality assurance and control details in an easily accessible form to NSW DPI and other interests.
The NSW Shellfish Program aims to ‘protect the health of shellfish consumers through the administration and application of procedures that (i) assess the risk of shellfish
contamination by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, biotoxins and chemicals derived from the growing area, (ii) control the harvest of shellfish in accordance with the assessed risk,
and (iii) protect shellfish from contamination after harvesting’ (Source: http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/pdf/Manual-Shellfish-Program.pdf). This program involves monthly
sampling of water samples for faecal coliform and oyster meat for Escherichia coli. Every other fortnight NSW Food Authority conducts water and oyster meat testing as well as full
phytoplankton counts and bio-toxin testing from 3 sites within Wallis lake. NSW Food Authority also conducts metal and pesticide analyses of oyster meat annually.
Derelict and expired oyster lease material should be identified and assessed by all stakeholders including Waterways and DPI and prioritised for removal.
GTCC has recently been approved to receive oyster stick waste from the Manning River and Wallis Lake. GTCC and GLC should facilitate the disposal of sticks by developing a
pamphlet informing oyster growers of the service and outlining correct procedures for using the service.
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