WA grown oysters off the Christmas menu

Posted by AFN Staff Writers on 22nd December 2011

ABC news service has reported that Western Australian grown oysters “will be off the menu this Christmas due to a harmful bacteria”.

WA’s only aquaculture oyster producer is Ocean Foods International in Albany. According to its Farm Director Gareth James, the shellfish have ingested the E Coli bacteria, which has washed into waterways due to recent heavy rainfall, and are therefore not fit to eat for this Christmas.

Mr James said a closure at this time of year is out of the ordinary but  it will not cause any ongoing problems for the farm.

Most of the remaining oysters  available  in WA originate from Tasmania and South Australia.