Plump Noosa River oysters may be back on the market in the coming years as local researchers help restore the health and marine biodiversity by opening 14 “fish hotels”
There has been no commercial oyster harvesting in Noosa estuary system since about 650 growing cages were removed from Lake Weyba in the 1960s, but now oyster reefs consisting each of nine biodegradable coconut fibres and recycled shells, are back. And University of the Sunshine Coast marine ecologist Dr Ben Gilby helping with the ambitions $1.5 million Bing Back the Fish project, is excited to find a marine fightback has already started to happen.
Increases have been noted at the reefs of the many fish familiar species like bream, flathead, tailor and whiting, attracted to these structures. And that will increase once the oyster spats still common to the river, start to bind with the old shell structures.