Levy to combat oyster mortality syndrome

Australian Seafood Industries (ASI) will collect a levy, in conjunction with hatcheries, to undertake research into developing spat with resistance to the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS).

POMS has a 90-100% mortality rate in infected Pacific oysters, and outbreaks have occurred in France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. More recently, POMS outbreaks have occurred in the Georges and Hawkesbury rivers in New South Wales and in wild Pacific oysters in Brisbane.

The levy, which will be collected from oyster growers who purchase Pacific oyster spat from hatcheries, will commence at $2.80/1000 spat, indexed annually by CPI.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a determination allowing the levy for up to 10 years.

“An industry-wide levy is an efficient way to fund important research that seeks to protect Australian Pacific oyster growers from the potentially devastating impact of POMS,” ACCC Commissioner Dr Jill Walker said.

Authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Broadly, the ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.