2015-11-10 - P&O Agenda - Item 7, Attach 1 - Historical Ecology of the Noosa Estuary Fisheries

After 1930 fewer references are made to the Noosa oyster fishery. A section was
leased to a local fisher in the 1930s, but the wider oyster industry went into
depression at this time (Smith 1981) and no references are made in government
reports about the Noosa oyster fishery after this period, with the exception of
1960. During this year it is reported that an oyster grower “transported
approximately 400 sacks of culture from Weyba Lake to Weyba Creek, where it has
been laid out in 650 trays” (Marine Department Report 1960). However,
discussions with a local resident who remembers the fisherman in question
stated that this established bed was unsuccessful (although clearly large
quantities of oysters existed in Weyba Lake). It is unclear why the Noosa oyster
fishery ceased to exist, possible reasons could include: overexploitation, disease,
removal of suitable substrate and/or declining water quality. According to
Monks (2000) the decline was due to exploitation and a loss of substrate as the
oysters and their shells were removed from the system, which young oysters
require to settle successfully. Diggles (2013; 2015) provides evidence that the
decline of oyster populations in Pumicestone Passage and Moreton Bay was due
to declining water quality, which caused recruitment failure across multiple
generations and facilitated the spread of disease.


While the Noosa oyster fishery no longer exists, an assessment recently
conducted by The Nature Conservancy into oyster recruitment in the Noosa
Estuary showed that oysters recruited in moderate numbers at nearly all sites
where settlement tiles were deployed. These included the main channel around
Tewantin and Weyba Creek, both sites of historical oyster production (see also
Monks 2000). Although conditions in the river are likely different to a century
ago, this study indicates that oyster restoration in the Noosa River may be
feasible (The Nature Conservancy 2015).

Net fishing

During the early decades of the 20th century a steady trade in fishing existed
within the Noosa River, with catches of 100-300 cases of mixed fish regularly
sent each week to Gympie and other nearby centres (Noosa Advocate, 16 May
1919; Nambour Chronicle, 11 Dec 1925). However, prior to the Second World


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