00:00:07
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the muster on Hakanui. Graham Wright, as general manager of Barnes Oysters based in the Vericago. They've made the decision of Barnes that they're going to finish the season at the on the twenty second, actually tomorrow, So Graham's going to give some context about how the season's been and how the fisheries are looking just in general. Suppose Graham, welcome to the muster once again. Great to catch up.
00:00:30
Speaker 2: Thank you, good morning here. It's you know, it's been been a challenging season in the last three or four seasons, to be honest, have been quite challenging. But you know, it is a wild fishery, and you know, the fishery has experienced some of these ups and downs, you know, and you know many times in the past. You know, if you recall back in the nineties, the fishery was closed for three years and you know, bounced back in the early two thousands and then then got knocked again by the disease. So I guess the drivers of the fishery is really is the disease, the parasite bonamia and also reproductive processes which we know don't happen annually and necessarily, so what we take commercity doesn't really make a difference. But yeah's just just just been one of those challenging sort of cycles we're in. But so we went in with our eyes open and sort of you have just weighed up all the things and think we've probably had a good look around, we know what's happening out there, and we'll just call it quits and and give the fishery a bit more time to bounce back for next year hopefully.
00:01:25
Speaker 1: So how bad is a parasite situation in the straight So it sort of seems.
00:01:29
Speaker 2: To come sort of in waves over years, so you can get sometimes you get sort of the last sort of four years, so we've had sort of sort of thirty to forty percent mortality across the fishery each year. This year we said we're seeing them mortality drop back significantly, you know, sort of less instead of five percent. So but it's just it's in might have environmentally driven, you know, and we don't really understand the actual true drivers of it. But all we can do is monitor it and manage it and see how we go.
00:02:01
Speaker 1: As far as the weather, how much of a factor does that play?
00:02:04
Speaker 2: Oh, the weather's been a huge factor again this year, you know, the month of April, you know, we had to think about seven fishing days or eight fishing days or something for the Barnes boats. Obviously take a bit of easter and nanzak into that as well when the boats don't come up. But and certainly even this last three weeks has been pretty challenging. We're sort of just trying to gear up to make sure we've got voices in the bank for the festival this weekend or whatever. We've got to under control.
00:02:28
Speaker 1: Just I think so the fishery doesn't seem to be deplated as such. It's just a case of a lot smaller roysters.
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's just sustainability is not in question. You know what we exploit, commercity out of the fishery is you know, based on the on the sciences, around sort of two to three percent of the adult population. So you know what we take commercy doesn't make a difference when you've got you know, thirty forty percent of mortality coming, you know what we do, commercy doesn't make a difference. So and it's a very well research fishery. We do annual surveys with the Ministry of Fisheries under their guidance with with and use with newhears, their science partners or whatever. So it's it's it's it's that's done every year, so we have a really good handle on what's happening and say, like these cycles have happened, you know, many times in the past. It's system and we know that the marine environment where we know the world environmentally, there's some challenges, isn't the really with you the talk about marine heat waves and these southern oscolations and you know, upwelling and all sorts of things that affixed the fisheries and oysters obviously can't move, so they've just got to adapt to the environment that they're in. And but so hopefully we'll just see a change of cycle and things will improve again.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: So some operators choosing not to go out on harvest this year, that's not on the table for next season.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: This year's business is normal. We've got a fairly solid routine over the last thirty years of doing our pre season surveys in sort of early January, so we get out there chartered one of the oyster boats, have the newer people on board. It's again, it's all it's a it's a Ministry Fisheries designed science program and we'll be looking at the at the growth rates, the recruitment rates, the the disease rates or whatever, and then you know, makes them an up to date informed decisions. But this year is it's business as normal. There's no reason to say that it won't be. It might be a short season again, it might be a normal season. We'll just see what happens. But so we know it as a you know, the environment of Hovo is very unique. You know, most ways to fledways to populations around the world survive in estories and harbor type environments, whereas Povo is obviously a toy fairly uh you know, a rough bit of water or whatever. So yeah, so yeah, it just it just makes it a difficult. But I think one of the biggest challenges we've got going forward is that, as we know, some years ago, there was another strain of Banamia called Banamia Austria that was first detected in Malbourne and then spread the Big Glory Bay. And it's a different strain that what we have in the fishery, and overseas evidence suggested if that was to spread into the wild fishery, it could be very very challenging for the oysters with a concurrent infection of both. And what we do know through by schun you monitors that that other strain the Benamey is alive and well and the Glory Bay, So we're just hoping that doesn't spread to the Straight but that that is my biggest concern for the fishery going forward.
00:05:11
Speaker 1: So if the water temperature was to stay warmer than what we've seen in the past, does that mean the season is going to change?
00:05:18
Speaker 2: Look, I think we do some some monitoring and Fovo Straight and it's really strange. Everything we read and talk about is marine heat waves and the suffered. The stuff that we're doing in Fovo actually suggests that they're temperature and Fovo the last two summers has been slightly cooler than they were the summers before that. So yeah, this sort of we know, you know, you know, up the West coast and Net with Cray Fisherman, they've certainly seen some exposure to warmer water, but and Fover what we see is actually slightly cooler. So it's just not necessarily as clear as what we think it is.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: So how's the demand being for blaff oysters this year?
00:05:56
Speaker 2: The demand has always has been has been very strong, and I guess it's supplied. Demand sort of curves. Just sort of appreciate it. It's it's been it's been a it's been a challenging season for the boats with the intensities of the of the big oysters down. So but you know, certainly demand from all over the country is for a normal year.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Just coincidentally, how many how much of your market would go up, say to Auckland as opposed to staying in Southland as far as.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: You bring up very loyal south Under and then you know, I probably i'd say probably this year probably at least fifty percent of my oysters would have been sold sort of you know the need and wnica south sort I think. So certainly, you know, we give top priority locally, but we certainly have you know, some really good loyal, long term customers and you know, right around the country, you know, so we were a bit of filtering up there, but certainly the priority for me is the Southern market year.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: So it's very much a case of next year it's going on from what you're.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: Seeing hopefully, So it's because it's it's mother nature and all we know, we know there's nothing we can do to change it, you know, we we know, like the reproductive cyclist. Before, we can go six or eight years without any production in this fishery. And but this year we're actually seeing millions of little baby oysters, as many as I've seen in my time here probably, So it's just yeah, it's just a change of cycle. And then at the stage next year it would be hard to imagine that we'll be back to full board again. But hopefully we just see some good growth rates, some of the young ones growing through and no new mortality, and then we'll be when we're on the winning side of the curve, hopefully.
00:07:26
Speaker 1: Graham right, general manager of van Zeis doesn't Umbercago great to catch up once.
00:07:30
Speaker 2: Again, thank you.
00:07:31
Speaker 1: Cheers Graham right of band Z Oysters. Looking at the situation of Favo straight Like I say, bands Oysters, they're going to stop harvesting this year, tomorrow, last day, Courtney no knows that next in the beaten lamp slot,
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the muster on Hakanui. Graham Wright, as general manager of Barnes Oysters based in the Vericago. They've made the decision of Barnes that they're going to finish the season at the on the twenty second, actually tomorrow, So Graham's going to give some context about how the season's been and how the fisheries are looking just in general. Suppose Graham, welcome to the muster once again. Great to catch up.
00:00:30
Speaker 2: Thank you, good morning here. It's you know, it's been been a challenging season in the last three or four seasons, to be honest, have been quite challenging. But you know, it is a wild fishery, and you know, the fishery has experienced some of these ups and downs, you know, and you know many times in the past. You know, if you recall back in the nineties, the fishery was closed for three years and you know, bounced back in the early two thousands and then then got knocked again by the disease. So I guess the drivers of the fishery is really is the disease, the parasite bonamia and also reproductive processes which we know don't happen annually and necessarily, so what we take commercity doesn't really make a difference. But yeah's just just just been one of those challenging sort of cycles we're in. But so we went in with our eyes open and sort of you have just weighed up all the things and think we've probably had a good look around, we know what's happening out there, and we'll just call it quits and and give the fishery a bit more time to bounce back for next year hopefully.
00:01:25
Speaker 1: So how bad is a parasite situation in the straight So it sort of seems.
00:01:29
Speaker 2: To come sort of in waves over years, so you can get sometimes you get sort of the last sort of four years, so we've had sort of sort of thirty to forty percent mortality across the fishery each year. This year we said we're seeing them mortality drop back significantly, you know, sort of less instead of five percent. So but it's just it's in might have environmentally driven, you know, and we don't really understand the actual true drivers of it. But all we can do is monitor it and manage it and see how we go.
00:02:01
Speaker 1: As far as the weather, how much of a factor does that play?
00:02:04
Speaker 2: Oh, the weather's been a huge factor again this year, you know, the month of April, you know, we had to think about seven fishing days or eight fishing days or something for the Barnes boats. Obviously take a bit of easter and nanzak into that as well when the boats don't come up. But and certainly even this last three weeks has been pretty challenging. We're sort of just trying to gear up to make sure we've got voices in the bank for the festival this weekend or whatever. We've got to under control.
00:02:28
Speaker 1: Just I think so the fishery doesn't seem to be deplated as such. It's just a case of a lot smaller roysters.
00:02:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's just sustainability is not in question. You know what we exploit, commercity out of the fishery is you know, based on the on the sciences, around sort of two to three percent of the adult population. So you know what we take commercy doesn't make a difference when you've got you know, thirty forty percent of mortality coming, you know what we do, commercy doesn't make a difference. So and it's a very well research fishery. We do annual surveys with the Ministry of Fisheries under their guidance with with and use with newhears, their science partners or whatever. So it's it's it's it's that's done every year, so we have a really good handle on what's happening and say, like these cycles have happened, you know, many times in the past. It's system and we know that the marine environment where we know the world environmentally, there's some challenges, isn't the really with you the talk about marine heat waves and these southern oscolations and you know, upwelling and all sorts of things that affixed the fisheries and oysters obviously can't move, so they've just got to adapt to the environment that they're in. And but so hopefully we'll just see a change of cycle and things will improve again.
00:03:35
Speaker 1: So some operators choosing not to go out on harvest this year, that's not on the table for next season.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: This year's business is normal. We've got a fairly solid routine over the last thirty years of doing our pre season surveys in sort of early January, so we get out there chartered one of the oyster boats, have the newer people on board. It's again, it's all it's a it's a Ministry Fisheries designed science program and we'll be looking at the at the growth rates, the recruitment rates, the the disease rates or whatever, and then you know, makes them an up to date informed decisions. But this year is it's business as normal. There's no reason to say that it won't be. It might be a short season again, it might be a normal season. We'll just see what happens. But so we know it as a you know, the environment of Hovo is very unique. You know, most ways to fledways to populations around the world survive in estories and harbor type environments, whereas Povo is obviously a toy fairly uh you know, a rough bit of water or whatever. So yeah, so yeah, it just it just makes it a difficult. But I think one of the biggest challenges we've got going forward is that, as we know, some years ago, there was another strain of Banamia called Banamia Austria that was first detected in Malbourne and then spread the Big Glory Bay. And it's a different strain that what we have in the fishery, and overseas evidence suggested if that was to spread into the wild fishery, it could be very very challenging for the oysters with a concurrent infection of both. And what we do know through by schun you monitors that that other strain the Benamey is alive and well and the Glory Bay, So we're just hoping that doesn't spread to the Straight but that that is my biggest concern for the fishery going forward.
00:05:11
Speaker 1: So if the water temperature was to stay warmer than what we've seen in the past, does that mean the season is going to change?
00:05:18
Speaker 2: Look, I think we do some some monitoring and Fovo Straight and it's really strange. Everything we read and talk about is marine heat waves and the suffered. The stuff that we're doing in Fovo actually suggests that they're temperature and Fovo the last two summers has been slightly cooler than they were the summers before that. So yeah, this sort of we know, you know, you know, up the West coast and Net with Cray Fisherman, they've certainly seen some exposure to warmer water, but and Fover what we see is actually slightly cooler. So it's just not necessarily as clear as what we think it is.
00:05:53
Speaker 1: So how's the demand being for blaff oysters this year?
00:05:56
Speaker 2: The demand has always has been has been very strong, and I guess it's supplied. Demand sort of curves. Just sort of appreciate it. It's it's been it's been a it's been a challenging season for the boats with the intensities of the of the big oysters down. So but you know, certainly demand from all over the country is for a normal year.
00:06:15
Speaker 1: Just coincidentally, how many how much of your market would go up, say to Auckland as opposed to staying in Southland as far as.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: You bring up very loyal south Under and then you know, I probably i'd say probably this year probably at least fifty percent of my oysters would have been sold sort of you know the need and wnica south sort I think. So certainly, you know, we give top priority locally, but we certainly have you know, some really good loyal, long term customers and you know, right around the country, you know, so we were a bit of filtering up there, but certainly the priority for me is the Southern market year.
00:06:45
Speaker 1: So it's very much a case of next year it's going on from what you're.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: Seeing hopefully, So it's because it's it's mother nature and all we know, we know there's nothing we can do to change it, you know, we we know, like the reproductive cyclist. Before, we can go six or eight years without any production in this fishery. And but this year we're actually seeing millions of little baby oysters, as many as I've seen in my time here probably, So it's just yeah, it's just a change of cycle. And then at the stage next year it would be hard to imagine that we'll be back to full board again. But hopefully we just see some good growth rates, some of the young ones growing through and no new mortality, and then we'll be when we're on the winning side of the curve, hopefully.
00:07:26
Speaker 1: Graham right, general manager of van Zeis doesn't Umbercago great to catch up once.
00:07:30
Speaker 2: Again, thank you.
00:07:31
Speaker 1: Cheers Graham right of band Z Oysters. Looking at the situation of Favo straight Like I say, bands Oysters, they're going to stop harvesting this year, tomorrow, last day, Courtney no knows that next in the beaten lamp slot,
