400,000 Young Oysters Reportedly Stolen From NSW Farm

A New South Wales oyster farm has reported the disappearance of about 400,000 juvenile Sydney rock oysters in what police describe as a major theft. The oysters were taken from a farm at Scotts Creek on Oxley Island, near the Manning River, earlier this year, according to NSW police. The missing stock was contained in approximately 320 bags and has an estimated value of $350,000. Police received a report of the alleged theft on Tuesday and have established a crime scene. Investigators are asking anyone with relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to contact them. Latitude 31 Oyster Co, which operates a Sydney rock oyster farm on the Manning River, said it had been affected by a “massive” theft reported to police. The business asked people to be alert for anyone attempting to move, or suddenly possessing, a large number of cocktail- or bistro-sized oysters. The company said the stolen oysters were not yet ready for sale and would require another four to six months of growth. The Guardian reported that it had contacted Latitude 31 Oyster Co to confirm whether the company’s account referred to the same theft described by police. The scale and timing of the alleged theft have led some oyster farmers to consider the possibility that the person responsible had industry knowledge. Gary Rodley, owner of Tathra Oysters on the NSW south coast, said the quantity and age of the oysters did not resemble a theft for personal consumption and suggested the stock could potentially be moved by someone familiar with oyster production. An unnamed Manning River farmer told the Guardian that Sydney rock oyster stocks had recently been affected by shortages and by flooding in 2021 and 2025. Because the oysters are farmed on a three-year cycle, the farmer said income in the region could take time to stabilise. The farmer also described previous thefts and said an artificial oyster fitted with a tracker had helped bring one offender to court in 2022. That person was fined $500, according to the report. Surveillance equipment has since been adopted by a number of farmers as demand for the locally grown oysters has increased. Sydney rock oysters are found along the New South Wales coastline and are highly valued for their flavour. Police investigations into the reported disappearance remain ongoing.