Oyster farming industry code of practice released
The amended Code of practice for the environmental management of the South Australian oyster farming industry was released earlier this month at the SA Oysters Growers Association (SAOGA) seminar in Cowell.
Originally produced in 2005 the code has been amended to incorporate new EPA legislation, and restructured to reflect operational practices of industry.
Several stages of consultation were undertaken during the review and the changes were supported by the stakeholders, including all licensed oyster farmers, SAOGA, key state government agencies such as PIRSA and DEWNR, local councils and a number of non-government organisations.
The code provides a tool to assist industry to meet the requirements of EPA legislation by identifying potential environmental issues associated with oysters farming and providing management strategies to address these issues.
It does this by specifying mandatory requirements that must be complied with, and best environmental practices that are generally outcome-based, to encourage growers to drive beyond compliance and more sustainable operations.
