Entry Date: 05.08.2020, at 11:27:06 hrs (local)
Whangarei - Whangarei
Oyster Farm
| PRID: | 11962 |
|---|---|
| LegID: | 325 |
| LegNo: | 73 |
| Latitude: | S035°16.46' |
| Longitude: | E174°07.62' |
| Day#: | 945 |
| Log (Leg): | 146 nm |
| Log (Total): | 51341 nm |
We talk to one of the workers and he explains, that there are no oysters for sale for at least three weeks. Reason are the heavy rainfalls during the last weeks which caused the sewage systems to overflow and drain into the bay. Since oysters get their nutrition from filtrating about 240 liters of water every day, the polluted water is running through their bodies. When the water in the bay is clean again, then oysters can be eaten again without any risk for the human health.
The oyster farm itself spreads over quite some body of water. They are grown in bags from wire mash on a steel construction in the tidal waters of the bay. Around Christmas time oysters sperm and need about one year to reach the size to be harvested. In between the oysters in the bags are sorted by sizes, so that the small ones have a chance to grow in a different bag. It is amazing, that oysters can stay alive for four weeks without water, if they stay cool.
