Sustainability

The Bluff Oyster Management Company (BOMC) is responsible for the long-term sustainability of the Bluff oyster fishery, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most valued wild fisheries.

Formed in 1992 by quota owners, BOMC represents 100 percent of Bluff oyster quota ownership businesses across 18 shareholders. Originally established as the Bluff Oyster Enhancement Company, it became Bluff Oyster Management Company Ltd in 1997.

The Bluff oyster fishery is a wild, natural system. Its future depends on the health of the environment it comes from.

This page outlines how the fishery is managed, monitored and protected.

Environment first. Always.

Science-led management

All research and stock assessments for the Bluff oyster fishery are designed and delivered by NIWA, now Earth Science New Zealand (ESNZ), New Zealand’s leading marine science organisation.

This work is independently reviewed through the Ministry for Primary Industries shellfish fisheries working group process, ensuring transparency, credibility and accountability.

NIWA also runs the official stock assessment model for the fishery on behalf of MPI, tracking long-term trends and supporting precautionary management decisions.

Harvest levels are deliberately conservative, typically around two to three percent of the total oyster population each year.

Monitoring the fishery

BOMC supports one of the most comprehensive monitoring programmes of any wild shellfish fishery in New Zealand, fully funded by industry stakeholders. This includes:

  • Five-yearly full stock assessment surveys

  • Annual mini stock assessments

  • Long-term spat monitoring

  • Continuous environmental monitoring, including water temperature

  • Catch sampling, logbooks and meat quality monitoring

Together, this information provides a clear and timely picture of fishery health and enables informed responses to environmental change.

Disease management and biosecurity

Disease is a natural part of the Bluff oyster ecosystem and has been present for many decades. It is carefully monitored.

In partnership with NIWA and other research partners, BOMC invests in advanced testing to detect and track known oyster pathogens, including Bonamia exitiosa. Research continues to improve understanding of how disease interacts with environmental conditions.

BOMC also works closely with Biosecurity New Zealand to monitor emerging risks. Bonamia ostreae, first identified in Marlborough in 2016, has not been detected in Foveaux Strait, and precautionary monitoring continues.

Independent science. Conservative harvest levels. Continuous monitoring.

That is how the future of the Bluff oyster fishery is protected.

For enquiries relating to the Bluff Oyster Management Company or the management of the Bluff oyster fishery:

Graeme Wright
BOMC Operations Manager

PO Box 844, Invercargill 9840, New Zealand