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PACIFIC OYSTERS will become a pricey delicacy BY MARK BARRATT-BOYES H erpesvirus-1, also known as OsHV- 1, is destroying young Pacifi c oysters (Crassostrea gigas), cutting supplies by about 80 percent, says Aquaculture New Zealand. "That means far fewer Pacifi c oysters around and a sizeable hike in prices for people who love them," says the president of the New Zealand Oyster Industry Association, Callum McCallum. He says the $30 million industry will be chopped to $4 million in 2012. The annual harvest is about 3.5 million dozen oysters, or about 2800 tonnes, and most are exported, mainly to Australia and Asia. But about half of the oysters due to be exported next year are now dead from the infection. "That's going to be a major blow and very tough going for us," McCallum said. Bluff oysters are not affected. OsHV-1 has wiped out stocks in Europe, especially France and Ireland. The European Food Safety Authority has asked animal health experts for their scientifi c opinion on the cause of the deaths. Acting on a request from the European Commission, the authority has specifi cally asked whether the juvenile stocks may have been killed off by a combination of the virus and environmental factors. Britain has declared a containment area on the River Thames and the coast of northern Kent. A spokeswoman for the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in Suffolk, England, said scientists found an increase or a sudden change in the water temperature was an important risk factor, along with the introduction of non-certifi ed and possibly infected spat, movements and mixing of populations and age groups, among other husbandry practices. OsHV-1 arrived in New Zealand in 2010 and has swept through 100 farms from Whakatane north, killing 80 to 90 percent of young molluscs. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry response manager Richard Norman says speculation on the cause of the deaths in New Zealand is premature. McCallum, who owns Clevedon Coast Oysters, says the Sanford closure was a sign of troubles to come. His farm alone lost 300,000 dozen oysters last season, and he has cut staff numbers from 40 to just 12 as his company looks to diversify into other shellfi sh. "There will be plenty of others in the same position who are laying off staff and trying to think of other areas they can move into until this passes," McCallum said. Prices were currently fairly stable, he says. "But there will be trouble in 2012 when farms are out of older stock and rely on younger shellfi sh to harvest. "It's a terrible shame, given New Zealand oysters are among the best in the world. We've been doing amazing stuff, selling to premium markets worldwide." Sanford said on December 5 it was closing its oyster processing plant in Kaeo, Northland, due to the virus, which has decimated young oysters the company was growing for harvest in the next two years. The plant processed oysters from Whangaroa and Houhora. The Kaeo site will continue to be used as the base for Sanford's marine farming operations in Northland. Sanford's managing director, Eric Barratt, says 15 permanent staff and 51 seasonal staff will lose their jobs as a result. The company is helping them fi nd alternative employment. "We are already putting in place a job search programme, contacting major employers in the Northland area in case of any vacancies appropriate for any of our team. We are also asking all Sanford plants and fl eet operations to identify any vacancies throughout the group," Barratt says. "While this decision is a sad for the Northland region, we will do all we can to mitigate the effects." JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 11 ABOVE: Thin racks mean thinner pockets BELOW: One solitary oyster will cost