Relaying shellfish from closed harvesting areas

The Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (ASQAP) Operations Manual, the ASQAP Export Standards 2004, and the Primary Produce (Food Safety Schemes) (Seafood) Regulations 2017 set out requirements to ensure harvested shellfish are suitable and safe for human consumption.

The manual, standards, and regulations allow for shellfish to be relayed from a closed harvesting area to another harvesting area. Authorised relaying ensures the restricted and controlled movement of stock and allows for the natural flushing of any contaminates shellfish may have.

The South Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (SASQAP) established relay guidelines so growers can move shellfish stock and demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

Relaying risks

The relaying of shellfish is strictly regulated due to the risk of:

• cross-contamination from receiving waters, which can compromise the safety of relayed shellfish
• unintentional harvesting of shellfish that have been relayed but not adequately cleansed
• overcrowding, which can reduce the ability of shellfish to effectively purge contaminants
• inadequate cleansing periods, where shellfish are not given sufficient time to depurate
• extended depuration times, particularly when toxins are deeply embedded in tissue.

The SASQAP team considers these risks when you submit a relay request. Conditions to mitigate risks are outlined in the Relaying Authorisation Form and must be followed for the approval process.

Requirements for relaying shellfish

All shellfish must be:

• relayed on the date indicated on the form
• considered a single, specific consignment and stay together
• in control of the accredited producer conducting the relay
• clearly marked as to identify them as relayed stock during transport and in the new harvesting area for the duration of the holding period.

All relayed shellfish are non-transferable and must remain on the licence identified on the relay request.

Where required by the relay authorisation, testing (microbiological or biotoxin analysis, for example) must be conducted on each consignment to meet export standards. Testing is the responsibility of the receiving accredited producer unless PIRSA makes alternative arrangements in exceptional circumstances.

Quarantine requirements for received shellfish

All received shellfish consignments must be separated from market-ready and non-relayed shellfish to avoid cross contamination and accidental harvest.

Consignments received in the same relay must be quarantined together and marked as such.

To ensure isolation and identification, receivers should either hold each relayed shellfish consignment away from non-relayed shellfish in separate:

• aquaculture-licensed sites (can include emergency leases)
• farming systems (using separate floating system lines, contained longlines, or railings).

When using separate farming systems, you must attach a white buoy to the start and end of each consignment. Buoys must be securely attached to a strainer or end post, and show the:

• aquaculture license number for the licensed site
• unique identifier for each consignment in black text.

Relay periods and testing

Relayed shellfish must be left in the relay destination for the time periods specified below before they're harvested. The period may vary according to the location and the environmental conditions.

Biotoxin-related consignment holding periods may reduce if testing shows relayed stock is within the limits set in the Food Standards Code for 2 consecutive weeks, as per the ASQAP manual.

Testing samples must:

• consist of at least 12 oysters
• be from shellfish experiencing the lowest water movement and highest shellfish density in their relaying environment.

Where heavy-metal contamination or other chemical contamination is a concern, testing must demonstrate stock is safe for consumption.

Relaying and receiving parties must maintain comprehensive records of all testing and microbiological analyses conducted before and after the relay period. Both parties must retain records for 5 years for each approved relay.

Movement records

Accredited producers must maintain shellfish relay records to demonstrate compliance with relaying and holding requirements.

Records to keep include:

• date consignment received
• consignment's unique identifier
• consignment supplier and their aquaculture license number
• species of shellfish
• stock number or biomass
• stock age or development stage
• testing and biotoxin detection records.

The stock register must be kept and made available for auditing, compliance, and verification purposes.

Apply to relay shellfish

Complete the request to relay farmed bivalve molluscs form and email it to pirsa.sasqap@sa.gov.au.

Relaying and receiving parties must both sign the form.

The Minister or their delegate will approve the application and, if approved, will issue conditions, including holding periods and testing requirements.

More information

For more information about relaying, contact SASQAP via:

• email: pirsa.sasqap@sa.gov.au
• phone: 08 8688 3409

For more information about stock register requirements. contact PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture via:

• email: pirsa.aquaculture@sa.gov.au
• phone: 08 8207 5332