Dave Barker is the managing director of The Shire Oyster Supply (TSOS). He has over 20 years of experience in aquaculture research and commercial fishing and shellfish farming. TSOS began oyster farming in 2009 but was heavily impacted by POMS outbreaks in 2010-2011 that devastated their stock. In response, TSOS diversified into shellfish and seafood processing and trading under the brand Sydney Live Seafood. They also constructed a bivalve hatchery to research developing POMS resistance. Barker believes TSOS now has potential for long term growth and stability through oyster farming, seafood trading, and hatchery research.

2. Personal Profile
Dave Barker , Managing Director
• An extensive background in marine aquaculture and aquatic science
including over twenty years experience in scientific research in both
aquaculture and commercial fisheries and over 10 years experience
as a commercial finfish and shellfish farmer.
• Degree in applied biology (Hons) and a Masters degree in
environmental science by research thesis, focused on
environmental aspects of aquaculture.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in marine
biology, environmental science, commercial fisheries and
aquaculture
• Now focusing research skills on Research & Development (R&D) for
both Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters at TSOS bivalve hatchery.
• Manages the company and the project management and
development of TSOS Pty Ltd and Sydney Live Seafood expansion.

3. Historical background
• Botany Bay & Georges River system were one of the highest
producers of Sydney rock oysters (SRO) in Australia.
Renowned for extremely fast growth rates, high quality
taste and sustained condition for about 10 months of the
year.
• Around 57 farmers operated this waterway until it was
devastated by QX and Winter mortality, all farming ceased
and majority of leases removed from up river
• Over 10 years later Drakes Oysters began farming again
using SOCo disease resistant Sydney rock oysters
• In 2005 -2010 triploid pacific oysters (PO) were
commercially farmed for the 1st time in this river system
• In 2009 The Shire Oyster Supply P/L commenced oyster
farming culturing both SRO and PO stock

4. My farms time line
• 2003-2005 Silver Beach Aquaculture. NSW 1st commercial marine
Fin Fish farm in NSW, located in Botany Bay.
• Using sea cage culture to produced snapper, silver bream and some
Mulloway (Jewfish) but a lack of capital investment saw farm close
• 2005-2008 Clearwater Marine Farms leased the facilities and as the
farms manager we successfully produce Mulloway and Kingfish
• In 2008-09 we produced over 30 metric tonne of Mulloway and 5t
King fish and lost approx. $110K
• In My opinion Marine fin fish farming is currently NOT a viable
prospect in NSW due to a number of critical factors
• In 2009 The Shire Oyster Supply (TSOS) commence Oyster farming
using fish farm land base (originally an oyster farming shed)

5. Oyster Production Activities
Sydney Rock Oyster Spat
on traditional nursery tray
cultivation equipment
Oysters being size graded
for market
Recycled plastic floating basket cultivation equipment
Oysters being depurated
or purified prior to sale
Fresh local farmed
Sydney Rock Oysters

6. And Then POMS happened
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From 2009 to December 2011, TSOS purchased 2 crops (some 350 000) SRO stock and 3 crops of
PO (totalling 880 000)
In Sept 2010 we noticed some 30% mortality occurring in crop 1 oysters held in submersed baskets
that had standard and large size Pacific oysters in fat condition ready for harvest
Crop 1 Stock relocated into trays but mortality continued
crop1 was sold out (50% lost overall)
In October we examined crop 2 (350 000) oysters that were in floating cultures baskets and after
only 6 months out of nursery there were sellable buffe & standard size oysters in good condition
busting out of the baskets but we decided not to sell top end of the crop and to continue there
culture until next season
On 11th November 2010 we again examine crop 2 oysters and discover the entire lease of oysters is
dead without meat in any shell
We then examine our nursery trays carrying some 600 000 oysters only 2 weeks out of up wellers
and find 99% are also dead
We also check other juvenile triploid stock in up wellers (approx. 550 000) that belong to another
farmer. Yes they too are all dead after only 10 days in the system. No the farmer wasn’t happy and
still believes the stock arrived dead from shellfish Culture
We believe that Woolooware Bay has experienced a problem with water quality that has caused
this mortality and immediately notify the appropriate authorities who investigate many possible
sources of contamination but find nothing
Meanwhile we discover that pacific oysters held in other areas of Botany Bay are not affected so
we decide to purchase the last available stock of spat and place another 280 000 on trays in
Quibray Bay at the mouth of Botany Bay
2 weeks later this stock was all alive (as well as an adjacent 500 000 spat of Drakes stock
2 weeks later ( January 2011) 99% all stock in Quibray Bay has also died

7. And Then POMS happened
Again!
• In the following summers POMS was detected and
measured to have an increasing period of infection
within Botany Bay
• And now POMS has devastated farmers in the
Hawkesbury River system, also affecting Sydney rock
farmers that have had stock confined due to closures
• A number of Hawkesbury farmers have sold out there
businesses & equipment but a good number of farmers
remain dedicated to continue farming but they have
little, or no available options for stock
• Unlike many farmers , we had the opportunity of
earning an income whilst operating the farm part time

8. Q: What to do?
A: Cut your losses and move on or
take a new business approach
• The prospect of having lost all capital on stock and
unable to restock is a daunting prospect
• In order to maintain cash flow we began trading
oysters, other bivalves and live seafood's
• The Shire Oyster Supply Pty Ltd. (TSOS) now has three
main aspects of business
1. Primary production, Oyster Farming
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We are primarily oyster farmers with cultivation and harvest leases in Woolooware
and Quibray Bays, within Botany bay
We have continued to culture both single seed oyster stock from juvenile spat to
market size as well as purchase single seed oysters from other estuaries that we
culture and finish/condition for sale. These oysters adopt the flavour and texture
conditions of our estuary
We use modern culture techniques that are both innovative and environmentally
friendly that improve growth and condition of our oysters
We produce and sell oysters whole/live in the shell and freshly opened

9. 2. Shellfish & Seafood
Processing
TSOS has several shellfish storage and
processing facilities:
• Cool room refrigeration and freezer storage
• processing facilities for shucking and
processing seafood
• Wet storage facilities for holding and purging
Live seafood
• Purification / live shellfish storage facility

10. Sydney Live Seafood
• Over the past 12 months TSOS has developed a live seafood trading
business, ASIC registered as “Sydney live Seafood”
• This business direction was driven from our extensive knowledge of
commercial fisheries and existing relationships with fishermen and
aquatic farmers in Australia.
• Through this business name we offer clients both our live farmed
oysters and our boutique range of sashimi grade live seafood. We
are generally sole agents and suppliers of these high quality niche
fisheries, making Sydney live Seafood a very unique business in the
seafood supply industry

11. 3. Bivalve hatchery
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TSOS has constructed and developed a research/commercial scale bivalve shellfish hatchery.
The hatchery was initially developed to produce SOCo Sydney rock oysters as availability is poor
From my background in research & with hatchery equipment already in place I saw the seeds of
opportunity in collecting surviving wild oysters that have recently settled in POMS affected waters
during the peak period of the virus
We hope that this will benefit our business and possibly the future of the Australian shellfish farming
industry
Hatchery facilities
Larval oysters
Juvenile oysters (Spat)

12. Our future
• We consider our business to have huge potential for growth and long term
stability as both farmers and live and fresh seafood suppliers.
• We have several unique aspects of business that separate us from other
seafood suppliers in Sydney.
• We supply local farmed oysters and our ability to wet store and purify
large volumes of live produce allow us to provide a diverse and unique
range of the highest quality seafood.
• I have a personal ambition to re establish pacific oyster culture in Botany
Bay and assist in the development of a POMS resistant pacific oyster
• Overall my view of POMS as a farmer having a background in research is
that the global scale of this virus will assist in R&D and that industry will
again somehow overcome this issue
Thank you for your time

13. Questions?