The Bluff oyster season swung into action on Monday (March 1), with the Polaris boat delivering its first harvest of the wild shellfish delicacy to the Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters factory in Invercargill.

About 3000 dozen oysters spent Monday night in the chiller before being conveyed on Tuesday morning to about 40 eager oyster openers waiting with shucking knives.

Outside the factory, a queue of oyster-hunger buyers had formed on the corner of Spey and Bond streets, and all Tuesday there was a continuous stream of buyers.

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Barnes Oysters manager Graeme Wright said opening day had been a “great day’’ and the condition of the oysters was “pleasing, to say the least”.

“The first harvest was a great day here. The weather was really kind. The boat had a really good catch,” Mr Wright said.

Bluff oysters grow wild in Foveaux Strait. 

In 2017, a NIWA study revealed the wild oyster population was declining due to factors such as low replenishment and disease.

Biosecurity New Zealand has been working to keep the Bonamia ostraeae parasitic disease out of the Foveaux Strait fishery since the parasite was first found in New Zealand in 2015. 

In 2017, farmed oysters were pulled out of Big Glory Bay at Stewart Island because of Bonamia.

Barnes employee Norman Day presents a juicy oyster on the first day of processing Bluff oysters. PHOTO: Salina Henry

The Ministry of Fisheries sets a total annual catch of 14,950,000 oysters but because of concerns about the size of the oyster population, the local industry had agreed to shelve that quota and take a smaller annual total catch of around 7.5 million, Mr Wright said.

A final decision on the likely harvest size for this year would be made in about four to six weeks, once the fishery had been reviewed and some science work had been completed, Mr Wright said.

The review looked at things like mortality, disease and recruitment of oyster beds, he said.

Workers process Bluff oysters at Barnes factory on Tuesday. PHOTO: Salina Henry

The quality of the first catch was “pretty good”. The quality depended on things such a plankton availability and feeding conditions, Mr Wright said. 

The boats that supply the factory include Polaris, Ariel, Golden Quest, Toiler, Tarea, Lucy Star and Daphne Kay.

The season runs until the end of August or until the fixed quota has been filled.

The popular Bluff Oyster Festival is scheduled for May. All tickets have been sold.