Story: Aquaculture

Pacific oyster production, 1983–2003

Pacific oysters are farmed in Northland and Coromandel. The species accidentally arrived in New Zealand some time before 1970, and became established in habitats similar to those of the native rock oyster. Because the Pacific oyster grew bigger and faster, farmers switched from cultivating the native species to the Pacific oyster in the 1980s. Since 1984, annual production has remained between 3,300 and 4,000 tonnes.

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Source: Statistics New Zealand

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How to cite this page:

Maggy Wassilieff, 'Aquaculture - Oysters and scallops', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/4742/pacific-oyster-production-1983-2003 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 12 Jun 2006