3. Noosa Project Restoration Plan V12

larval plume may be small. Rapid algal growth and colonisation of newly placed restoration substrates
by a range of flora and fauna also competes with the natural recruitment of rock oyster larvae onto the
substrate, thus posing some risk to restoration success. The impact of predation on natural oyster
recruitment during the larval and young spat stages (by finfish and macro-invertebrates) may also be
significant.

For these reasons, the project augments, or ‘kick start’ the oyster ecosystem restoration process by
adding cured (by desiccation) oyster shell and live oysters to the rock substrate.

The cured shell is added as:

    a. Seeded cultch – cured oyster shell seeded with oyster spat at the Bribie Island Research Centre
       (BIRC), and placed in voids in the rock substrate,
    b. Unseeded cultch – cured oyster shell placed in voids in the rock substrate to encourage natural
       recruitment of oyster spat to the shell and rock,
    c. Composite substrate – cured oyster shell mixed with rock prior to the rock deployment

Live oysters, grown for this purpose in oyster gardens, are also placed in voids in the rock substrate (see
Section 5.5: Oyster Cultch for detail).

5.3 Shell recycling

Oyster shells are collected and prepared for use as part of TNC’s Shuck Don’t Chuck shell recycling
project      (see:      https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/our-priorities/oceans/ocean-
stories/shuck-dont-chuck-shell-recycling/).

Since September 2020, TNC has been collecting and curing oyster shell at the project’s dedicated oyster
shell curing site at the Doonan Solid Waste Depot (Figure 5.3). Shell has been supplied in bulk by
Mooloolaba Fish Market. She shell is principally half shell from shucked Pacific oysters (Magallana
gigas) with an average shell diameter of 60mm. Since March 2021, the project has begun collecting
rock oyster half shells from local seafood restaurants in Noosa and adding these to the curing site.

Resource Recovery Australia (RRA), who operates a recycling facility at the Doonan Solid Waste Depot,
is contracted to TNC to transport the shell from the wholesaler and retailers to the shell curing site.

For this purpose, TNC is a registered as a ‘resource provider’ with the Department of Environment and
Science, as per the Queensland End of Waste Code - Oyster shells (ENEW07278317) and Waste
Reduction and Recycling Act 2011. TNC cures the oyster shell against best practice, in compliance with
the Code, and in consultation with DAF biosecurity, who also sits on the project’s Technical Advisory
Group.

Shell curing occurs against the following protocol:

   I.   Shell is only cured at the designated and sign-posted shell curing site
  II.   Clean, shucked oyster shell is collected by the contractor from wholesaler/s, in bulk, in 1 tonne
        food-safe seafood transport containers and delivered to the shell curing site
 III.   Pre-washed shell is also collected by the contractor from oyster retailers in Noosa in clean 20
        litre buckets, and delivered to the designated shell curing site
 IV.    All containers used for shell transport are thoroughly washed and disinfected before storage
        and re-use

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