With the help of the Moreton Bay Regional Council, local restaurants and OzFish Unlimited volunteers, we have begun an oyster shell recycling initiative to help generate clean and safe shell substrate for restoring local oyster reefs. The full story was presented recently at the 19th International Conference on Shellfish Reef Restoration, in Adelaide, 9-21 February 2018. First we received funding to build an oyster shell impound from the Pumicestone Passage Restocking Association. Then Moreton Bay Regional Council kindly donated a water collection structure and granted permissions to construct a shell recycling centre at the Ningi Transfer Station! Pacific Harbour Property Owners Association have also kindly donated funds for a new water tank. Construction of the oyster shell impound was completed in 2016 and we collected oysters from the local community, including local restaurants until 2022. Please note that these shells are for restoration only and are not to be taken from the recycling centre for other uses.
Interested members of the local community can drop off their clean shells into the “dirty” pile on the left hand side at the Ningi Transfer Station (the tip) at 1532 Bribie Island Rd. PLEASE DO NOT place untreated oyster shells directly into our waterways, as they carry a significant risk of introducing pests and diseases that can harm our local ecosystems.
Thanks also to Steve Clarke at Bribie Oysters for generous donations of shell from 2016 until 2022.
Biosecurity measures for collected shells includes minimum 4 months desiccation in the sun, pressure washing and turning over the shells.
Experience overseas shows for every oyster shell that is recycled and placed back into a suitable reef restoration site, it makes a potential home for up to 10 baby oysters. Examples of overseas shell recycling initatives can be found here and here , while the billion oyster project in New York provides a great example of how local businesses, kids and schools can become involved with shell recycling as a practical way to help restore their local marine environment.
