Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Tasmanian Government in Collaboration with Tasmanian Oyster Company
Oysters
Client.：Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Tasmanian Government in Collaboration with Tasmanian Oyster Company
Issues/challenges and outcomes
1) Oysters can often be mixed / substituted throughout the supply chain
2) Various oyster location claims create premium and mean increase sales price to consumer - Examples: Tasmanian Oysters / Coffin Bay Oysters
2) Potential loss of revenue for some large premium brand suppliers to the market due to quality and flavor when substiution occurs
Report shows we can verify sample origin claims back to their Bay of Origin, with no problems at all 100% classification, 100% cross validation). to individual lease within a single bay, we can do that to 98%.
Details (what research has been carried out?).
Implementation of the provenance program included instructional documentation and communications preparation, development of sampling protocols and sample collection instructions, sample collection activities, shipping and delivery logistics, preparation for sample processing and analysis, and logistical planning and implementation of the in-market surveillance activities within the targeted supply chain. Samples of Tasmanian oysters were collected by our representatives in the 2023 harvest. The oysters were sourced from several leases across four growing bays in Tasmania and were sampled each week for 6 weeks. These samples were then shipped to our Australian analytical facilities where they were analyzed (Trace Elements) and unique chemical fingerprints were identified for each lease / growing bay.
Additional analysis has confirmed that when an oyster is translocated the oyster will take on the new source / location fingerprint within 4 weeks.
How much value has been brought to the economy?
Tasmanian oyster industry is focused on the cultivation of Pacific Oysters. (https://www.frdc.com.au/sites/default/files/products/2019-208-DLD.pdf)
Small production of Native Oysters.
In 2018-2019, the national GVP of oyster industry totalled ~AUD $106m. In TAS, production farm gate value of ~AUD $39m. (https://www.oysterstasmania.org/ourindustry.html)
Press information, etc.
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