Oyster growing in the Spencer Gulf could be affected if the proposed BHP Billiton desalination plant near Point Lowly causes excess salinity to be put back into the ocean.
The desalination plant was given the green light by the state Liberal Party at the end of June and it looks likely the project will indeed go ahead.
South Australian Oyster Growers Association (SAOGA) president Bruce Zippel said the impact of the desalination plant on produce was a concern for the industry, particularly for oyster farms near Cowell.
“We have participated in a joint approach with other seafood sectors expressing concern about it, but to no avail at this point,” he said.
Mr Zippel said if the amount of salinity in the water does increase as a result of the plant, it is reasonable that some effect on the ocean’s biological process could be expected on a local level.
Pacific oysters have a maximum saline tolerance of 4.5 per cent in their seawater environment.
The optimum salinity range for a pacific oyster to grow is between 2 to 2.5 per cent, and if the level climbs above 3.5 per cent the saline starts to have a negative affect on the oyster.
“High salinity puts stress on the oysters, affecting their growth rates, ability to fatten and when high enough, their ability to survive due to elevated levels of stress,” Mr Zippel said.
