Amended Noosa Project Restoration Plan V12_5

SECTION 1 – CONTEXT
1.1 Purpose

The purpose of the restoration work is to restore rock oyster ecosystems to the Noosa River estuary
and therewith the ecology services and benefits to fish habitats and fisheries resources they provided.

1.2 Objective

Restoration of oyster beds in the Noosa River estuary at locations that historic records, assessments
of shell middens and sediments and assessment of a high potential for restoration success indicate.

1.3 Rationale

Rock oysters (Saccostrea spp.) are natural and historic residents of the Noosa River. Rock oysters
colonise natural hard substrates (e.g. gravel, rock, tree roots) and create three dimensional, rugose,
and heterogeneous structures, which are subsequently colonised by successive generations of oysters
as well as an array of aquatic flora and fauna.

Rock oyster ecosystems are important ecological system and high value fish habitats that have been
lost from the Noosa River estuary and which this project aims to restore.

Historic occurrence

The estuarine environment of the Noosa River was once dominated with extensive rock oyster
ecosystems. Oyster ecosystems were largely lost however, in the late 1800s to early 1900s. At the peak
of the wild oyster harvest industry (1906-1907), it is estimated that 2-3 million oysters were harvested
in the lower estuary each year1.

The commercial oyster industry in the Noosa River commenced in the 1870’s or 1880s, and ceased,
having become economically unviable, by the 1940’s. Oyster lease areas were dredged intensively for
oysters in the early 1900’s, resulting in the removal of live oyster beds and the underlying bedrock.

From 1934, oystering locations were recorded by local fisheries officials, and defined by the extent of
the oyster lease areas allocated by the government for commercial exploitation3. These leases
(presented in Figure 1.1) indicate the most probable historical range of extensive oyster beds (intertidal
and sub-tidal) within the Noosa River estuary.




1
 Thurston R. 2015. Historical ecology of the Noosa Estuary fisheries. Report to: Noosa Council, The Nature Conservancy and The Thomas
Foundation (available on request from TNC).


                                                                                                                                        5