Shellfish thieves in Australia make off with 400,000 oysters worth US$250,000

Australian police said on Wednesday they were on the hunt for thieves who made off with hundreds of thousands of oysters.
The molluscs have an estimated total value of A$350,000 (US$250,000) and were lifted from an oyster farm near the town of Taree, north of Sydney, New South Wales police said.
Over 300 bags, containing 400,000 oysters, were stolen.
Police are urging the public to come forward with any information they might have about the theft, which they said happened “earlier this year” but was reported to them only on Tuesday.
Oysters are a staple of brunch menus and seafood buffets across Australia, with local varieties famed for their rich, creamy flavour.

Oyster grower Ryan Freeman told national broadcaster ABC he had lost a third of his stock.
“We probably get through 35,000 to 40,000 dozen at Christmas time. That’s why the thieves would have targeted them because they’re not going to be far off, they’re going to be able to sell them this Christmas,” he said.
“It’s going to have a massive impact.”
There was not enough time to look for more stock, he told the broadcaster. “It takes three to four years to grow a Sydney rock oyster,” he said.
“I understand everyone is [having] it tough, but I don’t believe stealing and taking from someone else is going to help someone else; all you’ve done is take someone else out for a small reward and high risk,” he said.
“It’s going to take us a few years to recover and all they’ve done is put us back another two to three years.”
Additional reporting by SCMP’s Asia desk