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Mahurangi oyster farmers have had a reprieve in the midst of a harbour-wide shutdown, as a costly bond scheme for aquaculture farmers has been put on hold.
Auckland Council planned to introduce a scheme at the end of last month, but it has been deferred pending further investigation.
The bond would require every oyster farmer to pay $6000 for each hectare of the farm.
The scheme is part of nationwide regulations to prevent abandoned oyster farms and to fund cleaning up derelict farms.
Council has agreed to review the rate of the bond after farmers questioned the high costs.
Council natural resources and specialist input manager Daniel Sansbury says the cost of the scheme was developed in 2005 and needs to be updated.
“Given the industry has changed in that time, Aquaculture New Zealand is looking at reviewing the risk report, and we are awaiting the outcome of this before beginning our final implementation of the bonds,” Mr Sansbury says.
Aquaculture NZ declined to comment on how long the review would take and how it would be conducted.
Mahurangi Oysters owners Lisa and Andrew Hay say the bond was out of date and they are pleased to hear the scheme is being reviewed.
The Mahurangi oyster industry has been closed since June 10 after toxic algal bloom was detected in the harbour last month.
Farmers now have to wait until the levels of the biotoxin reduce before reopening.
“It’s been awful,” Lisa says. “It’s been the hardest time we’ve ever had. We’ve lost employees; it’s been extremely stressful. People are feeling very nervous.”
Matakana Oysters owner Tom Walters says he will be forced to on-sell his oysters to farmers in areas not affected by the algae if the closure continues.
“It’s hurting us quite a lot and there’s nothing much we can do,” Tom says. “The recent rain might help flush it out, but it’s still so warm. The water is still a few degrees warmer than normal. We need some southerlies, but we keep getting nor’westerlies.”
The Ministry for Primary Industries is warning people not to eat or collect shellfish from the area between Takatu Point and Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Symptoms of toxic shellfish poisoning typically appear between 10 minutes and three hours after ingestion. Symptoms may include numbness and tingling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis and respiratory failure. In severe cases it can also cause death.
