Kerikeri oyster farm loses $60k after 24,000 oysters stolen

Depot's raw bar unveiled the Qyster in 2022. Photo/Vaimaila Leatinu'u

A gourmet oyster farm in the Kerikeri inlet has lost $60,000 of business after 24,000 oysters were stolen.

The oysters were the innovative and award-winning Aqua Mould Systems [AMS] Qyster which has a distinctive “Q” brand on the shell.

Founder Shaun Gregory was in disbelief on Wednesday morning when he arrived at the farm near Aroha Island to find 24,000 oysters missing.

They were probably stolen between 8pm and 10pm the previous evening.

A demoralised Gregory said they had just been harvested after a nine-month process. “They were just ready to go out the door.”

It amounted to nine months of wasted work. “It was pretty disheartening.”

He believed the prize-winning product would most likely be dumped because of its branding and the publicity of the theft.

The smooth-shelled Qysters are marked with a distinctive 'Q'. Photo / Supplied

He thought a group of people were responsible.

“It would have taken a number of people to do it. I don’t believe you could even do it with two people.”

The thieves used the business' barge to empty the oysters into nearby bins.

Gregory said the discovery of the sheer volume lost felt “gut-wrenching”.

“So much time, energy and money. It’s something you can’t recoup.”

He said there was no possibility of claiming on insurance as it did not cover loss of produce.

Police were notified of the theft on Wednesday and Gregory understood they were trawling through CCTV to find those responsible.

He said oyster farmers were extremely vulnerable to theft because it was difficult to monitor farms 24 hours a day.

Qyster is based near Aroha Island in the Kerikeri inlet.

However, the Marine Farmers' Association was discussing how to address the issue.

“The way of thinking at the moment is that oyster farmers are going to start putting signs up making it very clear to thieves [that] you will be prosecuted.”

Another method to stop oyster farmers being targeted was the possibility of land-based oysters.

Gregory said clients had been hugely understanding of the firm’s current situation.

Qysters bred in Kerikeri Show farm. Photo / Supplied

“We’ve had great feedback from high-end restaurants.

“They’ve been very supportive but it is disruptive to them [because] they rely on consistency.

“We won’t be able to produce any oysters for a while.”

He said the theft had put the business back at least a month.

The product is distributed to restaurants such as the Plough and Feather in Kerikeri.

“There’s no cashflow at all and we’ve still got to maintain our staff and meet the overheads.

“It’s tough.”

Northland Police acting Detective Senior Sergeant Christan Fouhy said inquiries were being made into the theft.

He asked anyone with information to make contact by calling 105 using reference number 250206/2212.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.