Macleay River Farm Oysters owner Ian Smith provides an update after a tough year

The last two years have been tough for local farmers, initially the bushfires wreaked havoc on the waterways and then a large percentage of stock was damaged or wiped out by the floods.

Then to top it off, these events caused a QX outbreak through the Macleay waterways, killing a large remainder of the farmers' stocks.

QX disease is caused by a parasite that thrives in contaminated waterways, it doesn't have an impact on human health, only invertebrates.

Owner of Macleay River Farm Oysters, Ian Smith, explained how the QX disease affects oysters.

"We had multiple blackwater events from the ash in the river," Ian said.

"It's just like us, if our immune system gets weak, we get ill. So a healthy oyster - if there is QX around it will repel it at its gills, but as soon as it gets weak, it gets in and will affect it," Ian said.

Sydney rock oysters actually take two to three years to reach a mature size, so farmers need multiple years worth of stock to operate.

"We had 40,000 dozen oysters ready in the pipeline for this year, and they all died," Ian said.

"We will be lucky to sell two to three thousand of our own oysters this year."

Ian has now taken precautionary steps by using QX resistant Sydney oysters, and has another ace up his sleeve.

"The Macleay oyster is quite renowned because the river is famous for fast growth," Ian said.

"Typically we can grow an oyster in 18 months to two years, rather than three years in other areas."

If there's any group of people that can bounce back, it's Macleay locals, and Ian remains optimistic for the future.

"Look we have had a tough couple of years but oyster farming is a great lifestyle, so many people enjoy our product and its a good local industry for the Macleay, and hopefully we will go from strength to strength," Ian said

"There are farmers here who want to commit and grow."

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