Local oyster farmers will descend onto the foreshore of the Brisbane Water next Tuesday to help tackle waste for the mass industry-led clean-up event ‘Tide to Tip’.
The group will meet at Lions Park on February 22 at 9am for the annual event.
Local oyster farmer Steve Williamson from Big Pete’s Oysters said he sees first-hand the condition of Brisbane Water every day.
“Our farmers are part of the Brisbane Water Shellfish Program, and we’re always cleaning and caring for the water, we depend on a healthy river for our businesses,” Williamson said.
“Tide to Tip is an opportunity to bring tonnes of trash out of the environment, get the community involved and bring awareness to river health across NSW and Australia”.
The oyster industry in the Brisbane Water has sold over three and a half million oysters to hungry shellfish lovers in the past several years.
With 15 oyster farms perched on the banks the industry generates hundreds of jobs and is an important part of the local economy.
Out on the water every day, oyster farmers said they have an intimate knowledge of their local environment, and regularly collect rubbish they find floating in the estuary.
It is the third time the OceanWatch Australia event has been held, which sees oyster growers lead marine debris clean-ups in 20 other estuaries across the country.
A summary of the waste will be documented and analysed by the Australian Marine Debris Database – a program run by Tangaroa Blue Foundation.
Source:
Media release, Feb 11
OceanWatch Australia