An Australian oyster farmer is dealing with a staggering loss after thieves allegedly removed around 400,000 juvenile Sydney rock oysters from aquaculture leases on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. Police estimate the stolen oysters were worth about A$350,000 (roughly US$250,000), while the farmer says the combined value of the oysters and missing equipment could reach A$400,000.
The theft was reported on Tuesday, August 25, after Ryan Freeman, owner of Latitude 31 Oysters, discovered that large amounts of oyster stock and farming equipment had disappeared from leases around Scotts Creek on Oxley Island. NSW Police say approximately 320 oyster bags were taken, and investigators have established a crime scene as they work to identify those responsible.
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400,000 juvenile oysters were stolen ahead of the Christmas trading rush
The scale of the alleged theft became clear when Freeman visited the Manning River leases near Old Bar to check his oysters ahead of the Christmas trading period.
“We noticed our floating gear and tumblers were missing,” he said.
Police were told that the missing equipment included around 320 oyster bags containing approximately 400,000 juvenile oysters. Authorities estimate the oysters alone were worth about A$350,000, while Freeman puts the overall loss, including equipment, as high as A$400,000.
The timing has made the situation even more painful for the farmer. Around 80% of the stolen stock had been intended for sale around Christmas, a crucial period for oyster businesses.
“We probably get through 35-40,000 dozen at Christmas time,” Mr Freeman said.
The approaching holiday season may also have made the oysters an attractive target. Freeman believes the stolen stock was getting close enough to marketable size to potentially interest thieves.
“That’s why the thieves would have targeted them because they’re not going to be far off, they’re going to be able to sell them this Christmas.”
But there is a major catch: the oysters were still juvenile and required more growing time before reaching the appropriate market size.
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One oyster theft could set the farm back another two to three years
The financial value of the stolen oysters tells only part of the story. Sydney rock oysters take years to cultivate, meaning Freeman cannot simply replace the missing stock and recover the business before Christmas.
“It takes three to four years to grow a Sydney rock oyster,” he said.
Freeman also said he did not yet know exactly how many oysters remained across his leases, although he estimated that roughly one-third of his livestock had already been lost.
That turns the alleged theft into a much longer-term problem. The business had already been recovering from previous difficulties, including floods last year, and the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of oysters has now erased years of progress.
“It’s going to have a massive impact, we’re only recovering from the floods last year,” he said.
The grower believes the recovery will take years rather than months.
“It’s going to take us a few years to recover and all they’ve done is put us back another two to three years.”
For an aquaculture business, that delay is especially serious because the missing stock represents years of cultivation rather than inventory that can be quickly reordered.
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NSW Police are investigating how the huge haul was moved
According to NSW Police, the alleged theft happened earlier in the year but was not reported until August 25. Officers from the Manning/Great Lakes Police District received the report at approximately 11am and established a crime scene at the Scotts Creek oyster farm.
Investigators are now appealing for information that could help identify those responsible. Police are particularly interested in CCTV and dashcam footage that could reveal who was involved or show how the large quantity of oysters and equipment was transported.
The logistics alone make this a striking case. Hundreds of oyster bags containing an enormous quantity of stock had to be removed from the leases, along with aquaculture equipment. This was not simply a matter of someone taking a handful of oysters for personal use.
Freeman has also spoken about the wider impact of stealing from an agricultural business.
“I understand everyone is doing it tough, but I don’t believe stealing and taking from someone else is going to help someone else; all you’ve done is take someone else out for a small reward and high risk,” he said.
Police have not publicly identified a suspect or announced charges. The investigation remains ongoing, with anyone holding relevant information encouraged to contact the Manning/Great Lakes Police District or Crime Stoppers.
The incident also highlights an unusual challenge facing aquaculture businesses. Unlike conventional farms, oyster stock is cultivated across waterways and leases, making hundreds of thousands of animals difficult to monitor continuously.
For Freeman, the problem now goes far beyond a A$350,000 estimated oyster loss. Replacing the stolen stock means starting a years-long cultivation process again, leaving the business facing a difficult recovery from an alleged theft that has already put it years behind.
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Disclaimer
This article is based on information publicly reported by NSW Police and ABC News as of September 1, 2026. The theft remains an alleged offence under investigation, and no suspect has been convicted in connection with the incident. Monetary figures are reported in Australian dollars where stated by authorities. The approximately US$250,000 figure is a currency conversion of the police-estimated A$350,000 value and may fluctuate with exchange rates.
Sources
- ABC News — Police investigate theft of 400,000 oysters from NSW farmer’s Old Bar lease
- NSW Police — Investigation underway after $350,000 worth of oysters stolen – Scotts Creek
- Featured Image Credit: Serhii Kovalov
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