Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How is the Select Oyster Company stock bred?

A. Initially DPI (Fisheries) approached farmers from four of the major oyster growing estuaries (Wallis Lake, Port Stephens, Hawkesbury R. and Georges R.) and asked them for their best oysters. We then bred those oysters and for each successive generation we selected over two hundred of the best and then bred from those. We do not modify the genetics of the oysters, there are no new genes introduced, we simply look for oysters that naturally grow faster and that are hardier than the others.  We do this by selecting those oysters that grow and survive the best on farms using normal farming techniques.

Q. If I bring Select Oyster Company stock into my estuary will they breed with the local oysters.?

A. Yes, they are "normal" oysters and as they get older and mature they will spawn, however, this does not mean they will become dominant in your area. While we don’t know how many wild oysters there are in every river, some surveys have been made. For instance, there is estimated to be more than 1 billion wild oysters in the Shoalhaven River.  If we took all of the Select Oyster Company stock ever produced and put it all in the Shoalhaven R. at the same time, it would form less than 0.1% of the total population and is unlikely to influence the genetics of the local stock.

Q. Are these oysters GMO’s (genetically modified organisms)?

A. No. the genetic material of the oyster has not been modified. These oysters are simply a subset of the normal oyster population.

Q. How can I be sure that I get the numbers of spat I order?

A. All Select Oyster Company approved nurseries have strict protocols for counting spat to ensure you receive your full order, however it is not that difficult to confirm your count and it does not require particularly expensive equipment. Select Oyster Company has simple protocols to help you. These are downloadable in written form (link to document but not available yet), or as a DVD of a workshop which was held by the NSW industry and NSW DPI. If you would like a copy of the DVD please contact us.