Stage two of sublicenses granted to Harvest Road for oyster harvesting in Albany Aquaculture Development Zone

Albany will soon be home to one of the biggest shellfish production zones in Australia with the State Government granting aquaculture sublicenses to Harvest Road Oceans for stage two of the project. The sublicenses, announced on July 4, will allow Harvest Road Oceans to expand its operations along the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone to 150ha, part of the larger 810ha zone. Stage two, which was announced in 2021, covers a 310ha area of King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour, adding to the 500ha of stage one in Oyster Harbour. Fisheries Minister Don Punch said the move supported the growth of the aquaculture industry in Western Australia. “The Albany Aquaculture Development Zone builds on Albany’s long history of shellfish aquaculture and premium seafood production and this latest development will further boost local opportunity going forward,“ he said. “Combined with the Cook Government’s recent investment in the Albany Shellfish Hatchery, this latest milestone will facilitate increased local shellfish output while also supporting industry diversification and regional economic growth. “I commend Harvest Road for their investment and interest in Albany and look forward to working with them and other proponents as we continue to grow our local aquaculture sector.” The AADZ is expected to produce 1500 tonnes of shellfish per year, estimated to be worth $30 million annually and creating more than 200 jobs in the regional city. The project is part of a $1.3m State Government investment into appropriate shellfish harvesting sites along the south coast of Western Australia. The AADZ is one of three zones for large-scale aquaculture operators in WA with environmental approvals and management frameworks already in place. In February, anonymous sources told The Nightly that Harvest Road was dumping tonnes of oysters at a local rubbish tip after production outweighed market demand with the City of Albany confirming the company had dumped 12.62 tonnes of “offal” in December 2023 alone. Harvest Road Group refuted suggestions it was dumping oysters, telling the Nightly the waste was “primarily ropes and buoys” with “some organic matter attached”. Harvest Road was contacted for comment.