Oyster farmers hopeful after record floodwater opens Manning River
Oyster farmers have lost hundreds of thousands of molluscs in the recent record flooding, but experts believe the deluge could benefit the industry long term.
Ian Crisp spent a week shifting oyster baskets and moving lines in the Manning River in preparation for the wild weather that hit the New South Wales Mid North Coast in May.
The river rose 3.55 metres above the May average at Mr Crisp's business near Croki.
His oyster leases were shifted by the floodwater which also washed away $100,000 worth of baskets.
"It's just plucked out the anchors of one end [of the leases] and the whole thing swung around," Mr Crisp said.
Expensive machinery on the riverbanks, including a $40,000 oyster grading machine, was also destroyed.
But Mr Crisp's wife, Rose, said the full extent of the flood's impact was not yet known.
"If you're going to lose something, it'll be young stock," she said.
Around a dozen oyster growers operate out of the Manning River, where the industry was valued at more than $1 million in the 2023–24 financial year.
Matt and Peita Carroll spent three years growing their stock.
"We probably lost half a million Sydney rock oysters … most of it ready for market this Christmas, but they're no longer with us," Mr Carroll said.
Federal and state government disaster relief grants of up to $25,000 are being offered to eligible farmers and small businesses.
The Carrolls estimated losses of around $250,000 upon first assessment.
"An oyster farmer is resilient … they're as resilient as what they farm," Ms Carroll said.
The 261-kilometre-long Manning River is a double delta river system, meaning it has two openings to the ocean.
According to the NSW government, it is the only river of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
The river's southern entrance — at the Farquhar Inlet near Old Bar — is intermittently closed by a natural sand barrier.
With assistance from a flood notch carved out by Mid Coast Council, the heavy floodwaters opened the second entrance last month, which is expected to improve oyster quality.
"Your oysters aren't stressed for as long, so they'll recover."
Mr Carroll, president of the Manning Valley Oyster Farmers Association, agreed that salty water flowing through the system with both entrances open was "vital to oyster growth".
"The salinity will come back bigger and better and the oysters will absolutely power on."
It has prompted the oyster growers to call for the river entrance to remain open permanently to benefit production in the region.
"[We want] permanent management … maintenance, dredging channels to it," Mr Crisp said.
"Making sure that we've got a much better chance in a flood of getting water away."
The Manning River entrance is not on the state government's priority list for dredging within the Maritime Infrastructure Plan, but Transport for NSW said it would "work closely with local stakeholders".
"While the Manning River entrance [including Farquhar Inlet] is not currently identified as a priority site within the plan, the broader dredging program remains responsive to changing needs across the state," Transport for NSW said in a statement.
MidCoast Council has a management plan in place for the Farquhar Inlet entrance, and another concentrated plan for the coastal compartment at Old Bar and Manning Point is in development.
Last year a council-commissioned external review assessed management options, noting it could cost around $30 million to dredge the opening over 20 years.
The council said the entrance was expected to naturally stay open for some time, but a permanent entrance "is not economically viable or practical".
But amid the clean-up process, Mr Carroll said having the river replenished by the recent opening could benefit oyster quality for up to five years.
"This is going to contribute to the river health like you wouldn't believe," he said.
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