Since the outbreak of Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS) in 2016 the Hodgman Liberal Government has been working closely with the Tasmanian Oyster Industry and affected oyster farmers to limit the spread of the disease and to develop recovery actions.
In consultation with our Pacific oyster farmers we developed a State Government financial assistance package of nearly $8 million to ensure the long-term future of the industry in the state.
This included assistance with stock recovery and clean-up costs and immediate fee relief for all Tasmanian Pacific Oyster growers, which included waiving licence fees, the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (TSQAP) levy, the Primary Produce Food Safety Accreditation Scheme fees and, upon application, exemption of the annual lease rental fee.
We also established a POMS Recovery Concessional Loan Scheme to help re-start and re-develop hatcheries, to provide POMS related infrastructure modifications and re-stock affected oyster leases.
So far 34 eligible applications for stock recovery and clean-up assistance funds have been approved to oyster farmers affected by the 2016 POMS event and five loans totally $1.25 million were approved by the Tasmanian Development Board.
POMS was again detected at farms in the South East region in 2017 and the Tasmanian Government will continue to stand by our oyster farmers by extending the relief package with the concessional loan scheme continuing for a further 12 months until May 2018.
In consultation with industry through the concessional loan scheme, growers will now also be able to seek larger assistance for projects that provide broad industry benefits like the development of POMS resistant spat or demonstrate new and improved farm practices to mitigate against future POMS events.
Biosecurity Tasmania will also continue to work with industry groups and one-on-one with producers in improving biosecurity awareness and an Industry Liaison Officer is working with the industry to investigate alternative methods of management of Pacific oysters.
We will continue to work closely with different levels of government and with industry to determine priorities for the future and how to re-build our world-class oyster industry and ensure its sustainability.
Information about the POMS Recovery Concessional Loan Scheme can be found on the State Growth website: www.stategrowth.tas.gov.au/oysterrecovery
Information about the POMS investigation and POMS differing disease risk areas is available on the DPIPWE website: http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/biosecurity/aquatic-pests-and-diseases/aquatic-biosecurity-threats/poms
More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff
More Media Releases from the Minister for Primary Industries and Water