Clean-ups coming up for oyster shell beaches

Volunteers help pick up sharp, dead oyster shells from a French Bay clean-up in 2007.

Three community clean-ups to clear sharp oyster shells from beaches start on Saturday 17 October and Auckland Regional Council (ARC) has funding for two more.

Volunteers are welcome at the three events, which will take place at:

• Sergeants Beach, Awhitu Peninsula, Saturday 17 October, starting 2pm
• Kawakawa Bay, south Auckland, Saturday 31 October, starting 10am, near Whitford Point Reserve
• French Bay, Titirangi, Sunday 22 November, starting 9.30am.

The Pacific oyster shell cleans-ups are funded by the ARC and coordinated by community groups in affected areas.

Councillor Dianne Glenn, Chair of the Council's Environmental Management Committee, says the three beaches were chosen because local community groups are concerned about the sharp, dead oyster shells and want to help remove them.

"We have funding available for two more oyster shell clean-ups, so if other community groups are concerned about the sharp shells at their local beaches, give us a call," she says.

The ARC provides the necessary permits and equipment, and puts on a barbecue for volunteers at the end of the clean-up. The shells collected are taken away for crushing and recycling.

For more information, visit www.ecoevents.org.nz and search on keyword "oyster".

About Pacific oysters

Pacific oysters are thought to have been accidentally introduced to New Zealand in the 1950s.

In 2004 the ARC commissioned an independent report on the options for managing naturalised Pacific oysters.

The report recommended the ARC identify areas where Pacific oysters posed the most risk, or were of community concern, and look at the best management options for those sites.