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Oysters are often called the canary in the coal-mine of estuary health, however it is oyster farmers who are truly the eyes and ears of the waterway.Out on their punts every day, these watermen have an intimate knowledge of their local environment and are often the first to report water pollution events and upstream disturbances. With the health of the environment intimately linked with their future income, they also have a vested interest to maintain and improve estuary condition. For many years oyster farmers have supported community groups to undertake waterway clean-ups, volunteering their equipment and knowledge for the public good.

Recognising the capacity of the oyster industry to undertake estuary clean-ups, in 2019 OceanWatch put forward a proposal to mobilise as many farmers as possible to undertake clean-ups in the same week. The response was overwhelming with 240 oyster farmers across 4 states committing to participate in its inaugural year.

The initiative, dubbed ‘Tide to Tip’, has also seen oyster farmers partner with commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, indigenous groups, schools and community groups to add on-ground capacity to the clean-ups. These partnerships have also help oyster farmers to build relationships and social licence with their local community.

Objectives

• Use the knowledge & equipment of oyster farmers to target rubbish hotspots
• Mobilise as many oyster farmers as possible to engage in estuary clean-ups
• Add to on-ground capacity by partnering with other coastal stakeholders
• Build relationships & community support for the oyster industry
• Develop a clean-up model that can be replicated, so Tide to Tip becomes an annual event.

Method/Approach

Tide to Tip was first floated with farmers at an oyster conference in 2019. The response was overwhelming, and by the end of the conference 19 estuaries had committed to running clean-ups. Following further meetings, this enthusiasm has grown with 24 growing regions committing to participate in the inaugural year of Tide to Tip, with all clean-ups scheduled to take place over a 10-day period coinciding with Clean-Up Australia Day. This partnership with Clean-Up Australia Day was crucial to enable free disposal of the collected rubbish.

OceanWatch provided overarching support - insurance, logistical support and organised waste disposal. Given the concentration of events, OceanWatch staff could not attend every clean-up so oyster growers were empowered to serve as local coordinators in many estuaries. Depending on tides and weather, clean-ups typically lasted 2 hours, followed by a waste audit and concluded with either a bbq or refreshments.

Key Findings

After the Black Summer of fires & floods, oyster farmers were surprisingly enthusiastic to continue with the planned clean-ups. They embraced the opportunity to get together around a common cause and debrief on recent events. 243 people involved in clean-ups. 972 volunteer hours. 12 tonnes of rubbish collected. 14 media articles & radio interviews.

Conclusion

All oyster farming estuaries have committed to undertake these Tide to Tip clean-ups as an annual events, and we are hoping to expand the involvement of other coastal stakeholders.