Merimbula Lake oyster farmers are at their wits’ end after ongoing problems with stolen produce.
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Oyster theft is not a new problem for local farmers but up until now it was sporadic and occurred mainly during the busy summer months.
But recently they have noticed a huge increase, with thousands of dollars worth of oysters being stolen in the last two months.
One Sunday morning Pip and Dominic Boyton from Merimbula Gourmet Oysters woke to find more than $500 worth of stock stolen.
“Sometimes we think the thieves don’t realise how much it affects us,” Mr Boyton said.
“People wouldn’t jump a fence and steal a sheep from a farmer but people seem to steal from oyster farmers all the time.
Each oyster takes three years to grow before it is ready to be eaten and during the growing period every single oyster is touched no less than 32 times by the farmers.
“It’s a three year investment and to find it stolen is very frustrating,” he said.
After realising they had been hit by theives once again, Ms Boyton took to Facebook to express her anger and disgust at the situation.
Only hours after Ms Boyton posted her status, Mr Boyton received a number of calls from other oyster farmers who all said they were having the same problem.
“It’s happening to all of us and it is getting more and more common,” Mr Boyton said.
“What’s worse is that sometimes when they steal the oysters they are taking a knife to the bag and slicing it open.”
This means on top of losing hundreds of dollars of stock, farmers are forced to either repair or replace the broken bag, costing them more money and wasting their time.
The farmers are now appealing to the public to take note of and report suspicious boats and canoes near or entering leased areas, particularly late in the afternoon or early evening as they may be waiting for an opportunity to remove oysters.
Each year oyster theft costs oyster farmers many thousands of dollars, both in lost stock, lost cultivation equipment and in some instances damage to lease infrastructure. Oyster thieves can face a fine of up to $5500.
To report theft or suspicious activity around an oyster lease phone NSW Police Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or contact the nearest police station