At the August Gecko Talk, Robbie Porter from OzFish delivered a passionate talk on the forgotten shellfish reefs of Queensland to over 50 community members, including divers, fishers, water lovers, and curious listeners. He walked us through some of the many projects OzFish is involved in, including riparian restoration, safe irrigation methods for fish passage, fishing equipment recycling and his passion for shellfish reef restoration.

Oysters are incredible creatures, filtering up to 180 litres of water daily, providing habitat for other animals and even sequestering microplastics. Southeast Queensland has lost 96% of its oysters, but Robbie and Ozfish volunteers have worked hard to fix that. He brought a ROB to show us- a Robust Oyster Bucket- made by community volunteers and designed to instigate shellfish reef formation. Thanks to their hard work, there are now nearly 11,000 ROBS in Moreton Bay. OzFish wants to see a similar restoration project happen in Tallebudgera Creek. This talk was the initial community consultation and sparked active input and valuable feedback from Talle Creek lovers!

Keep an eye out for a developing Gold Coast OzFish branch and further consultation on a restoration project in Talle Creek so our voices can be heard to determine the best location, layout, and signage to ensure our waterways benefit from oysters as well.

If you are interested in joining the initiative, please email us by clicking here.