Latest news with #BarnesWildBluffOysters
Otago Daily Times
30-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Season ends early to give baby oysters ‘best chance'
Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters staffer Roger Matahaere shucks hundreds of oysters for the hordes of Bluff Oyster Festival-goers earlier this year. PHOTO: ODT FILES Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters will wrap up its oyster season this Friday — nearly two months earlier than usual — in a move aimed at protecting millions of juvenile oysters discovered in Foveaux Strait. The Bluff oyster season typically runs from March 1 to August 31, but the company has chosen to finish early after harvesting only about half of its allocated quota. Barnes Wild holds about 60% of the 7.5million Bluff oyster quota. General manager Graeme Wright said the decision was influenced by both environmental and sustainability concerns. "There are millions of baby Bluff oysters out there. "It's one of the biggest reasons we've decided to stop early — we want to give them the best chance to grow and strengthen the wild fishery." The season had been difficult on several fronts, Mr Wright said. Unfavourable weather conditions and inconsistent oyster quality further complicated operations. The presence of oyster larvae on the backs of the adults caught showed the oysters were reproducing well but this also contributed to the supply problem. About 90% of oyster larvae attach themselves to the shell of an adult and one oyster could carry up to 70 larvae, he said. During the process of sorting the catch at sea, any oysters with larvae on board were thrown back. This year "huge amounts" had been returned to the sea. Records showed there were sometimes gaps of between six and eight years where there was little or no reproduction. "All of a sudden it's game on and ... we're seeing millions of little baby oysters everywhere. "Things for the future look really positive." It took between six and nine years for oysters to reach maturity, Mr Wright said. It was hard to know why the oysters were in poorer condition, but it could be because they were reproducing, their plankton food supply was not as plentiful or the increased presence of the parasite Bonamia exitiosa. The history of the fishery showed the oyster harvest was cyclic. "It's a wild fishery. "It has its ups and downs." While it was not an easy decision to make it was a sensible thing to do, he said.
RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
The Panel with Madison Burgess-Smith and Martin Bosley Part 2
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas This half hour the panel hears from Graeme Wright, general manager at Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters who have decided to end their season two months early. Plus they talk to Stuart Campbell, a Queensland tradie who started on an expected dance journey that led him to open his own dance studio.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Aw shucks: Tickets obstacle overcome
Tasting Bluff oysters are Ley Chen (left) and Yuwhan Xu at the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival on Saturday. Photos: Nina Tapu Leaving their tickets behind almost cost one Auckland duo their long-awaited chance of slurping down Bluff oysters on Saturday. Married couple Ley Chen and Yuwhan Xu were so excited about going to the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival they left their festival tickets in Auckland. They did not realise they were ticketless until they arrived in Queenstown on Friday. Mr Chen said he could not believe they had forgotten to bring the tickets. "That was the most important thing and we left it [the tickets] behind," Mr Chen said. "My wife bought it ... two months ago." An unusually sunny and hot Bluff day kept the 4000-strong, oyster-loving crowd happy with the smorgasbord of kaimoana (seafood) and game meat on offer. The Auckland couple's dreams of taking part in the annual festival and experiencing the famous Bluff tio (oyster) was salvaged by their daughter who sent a photo of the left-behind tickets. "We love oysters, so that's why we came," Ms Xu said. "It is delicious ... In my opinion, the medium size may be the best one." Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters staffer Roger Matahaere is happy to shuck hundreds of oysters for the hordes of festival-goers. Festival chairman John Edminstin said the festival was lucky to have got all the oysters it needed for Saturday. "I told them [festival organisers] to have faith," Mr Edminstin said. "I went out at one o'clock this morning [Saturday], [and] there were five other boats. "Skippers and the crews all went out ... and we got plenty for today." For Mr Chen and Ms Xu, who were originally from China, attending the festival was also their first visit to Bluff. Ms Xu said her friend had strongly recommended the festival which pushed them to make a holiday of the trip. The Bluff first-timers preferred their oysters raw and vowed to return next year. Mr Edminstin said the day had been successful. "It has been very pleasing and rewarding. "The weather's played a part, the oysters arrived after bad weather, the music's good and everybody seemed to be happy."
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Aw shucks: Obstacles overcome to attend festival
Tasting Bluff oysters are Ley Chen (left) and Yuwhan Xu at the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival on Saturday. Photos: Nina Tapu Leaving their tickets behind almost cost one Auckland duo their long-awaited chance of slurping down Bluff oysters on Saturday. Married couple Ley Chen and Yuwhan Xu were so excited about going to the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival they left their festival tickets in Auckland. They did not realise they were ticketless until they arrived in Queenstown on Friday. Mr Chen said he could not believe they had forgotten to bring the tickets. "That was the most important thing and we left it [the tickets] behind," Mr Chen said. "My wife bought it ... two months ago." An unusually sunny and hot Bluff day kept the 4000-strong, oyster-loving crowd happy with the smorgasbord of kaimoana (seafood) and game meat on offer. The Auckland couple's dreams of taking part in the annual festival and experiencing the famous Bluff tio (oyster) was salvaged by their daughter who sent a photo of the left-behind tickets. "We love oysters, so that's why we came," Ms Xu said. "It is delicious ... In my opinion, the medium size may be the best one." Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters staffer Roger Matahaere is happy to shuck hundreds of oysters for the hordes of festival-goers. Festival chairman John Edminstin said the festival was lucky to have got all the oysters it needed for Saturday. "I told them [festival organisers] to have faith," Mr Edminstin said. "I went out at one o'clock this morning [Saturday], [and] there were five other boats. "Skippers and the crews all went out ... and we got plenty for today." For Mr Chen and Ms Xu, who were originally from China, attending the festival was also their first visit to Bluff. Ms Xu said her friend had strongly recommended the festival which pushed them to make a holiday of the trip. The Bluff first-timers preferred their oysters raw and vowed to return next year. Mr Edminstin said the day had been successful. "It has been very pleasing and rewarding. "The weather's played a part, the oysters arrived after bad weather, the music's good and everybody seemed to be happy."
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Obstacles overcome to attend festival
Tasting Bluff oysters are Ley Chen (left) and Yuwhan Xu at the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival on Saturday. Photos: Nina Tapu Leaving their tickets behind almost cost one Auckland duo their long-awaited chance of slurping down Bluff oysters on Saturday. Married couple Ley Chen and Yuwhan Xu were so excited about going to the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival they left their festival tickets in Auckland. They did not realise they were ticketless until they arrived in Queenstown on Friday. Mr Chen said he could not believe they had forgotten to bring the tickets. "That was the most important thing and we left it [the tickets] behind," Mr Chen said. "My wife bought it ... two months ago." An unusually sunny and hot Bluff day kept the 4000-strong, oyster-loving crowd happy with the smorgasbord of kaimoana (seafood) and game meat on offer. The Auckland couple's dreams of taking part in the annual festival and experiencing the famous Bluff tio (oyster) was salvaged by their daughter who sent a photo of the left-behind tickets. "We love oysters, so that's why we came," Ms Xu said. "It is delicious ... In my opinion, the medium size may be the best one." Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters staffer Roger Matahaere is happy to shuck hundreds of oysters for the hordes of festival-goers. Festival chairman John Edminstin said the festival was lucky to have got all the oysters it needed for Saturday. "I told them [festival organisers] to have faith," Mr Edminstin said. "I went out at one o'clock this morning [Saturday], [and] there were five other boats. "Skippers and the crews all went out ... and we got plenty for today." For Mr Chen and Ms Xu, who were originally from China, attending the festival was also their first visit to Bluff. Ms Xu said her friend had strongly recommended the festival which pushed them to make a holiday of the trip. The Bluff first-timers preferred their oysters raw and vowed to return next year. Mr Edminstin said the day had been successful. "It has been very pleasing and rewarding. "The weather's played a part, the oysters arrived after bad weather, the music's good and everybody seemed to be happy."
