appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Agence France-Presse

Australian police said on Wednesday they were on the hunt for thieves who made off with hundreds of thousands of oysters.
The molluscs have an estimated total value of A$350,000 (US$250,000) and were lifted from an oyster farm near the town of Taree, north of Sydney, New South Wales police said.
Over 300 bags, containing 400,000 oysters, were stolen.
Police are urging the public to come forward with any information they might have about the theft, which they said happened “earlier this year” but was reported to them only on Tuesday.
Oysters are a staple of brunch menus and seafood buffets across Australia, with local varieties famed for their rich, creamy flavour.

Oyster grower Ryan Freeman told national broadcaster ABC he had lost a third of his stock.
“We probably get through 35,000 to 40,000 dozen at Christmas time. 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,” he said.
“It’s going to have a massive impact.”
There was not enough time to look for more stock, he told the broadcaster. “It takes three to four years to grow a Sydney rock oyster,” he said.
“I understand everyone is [having] 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.
“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.”
Additional reporting by SCMP’s Asia desk


China airports climb global-connectivity ranking as international routes rise: OAG report

Australia to ban student dependants as Labor fends off far-right pressure

Will ‘transactional’ America assist India in a future border crisis with China?

Citigroup hires veteran banker Sophia Wang to lead China institutional sales

Australia

Shellfish thieves in Australia make off with 400,000 oysters worth US$250,000

Oysters sit on a silver tray ready for sale. The molluscs are a staple of brunch menus and seafood buffets across Australia. Photo: Shutterstock

A woman prepares to eat an oyster. There is a big demand for oysters around Christmas in Australia. Photo: Shutterstock

Australia urged to lead Indo-Pacific cable shield as hybrid war risks rise

An underwater cable sits on the sea floor. Australia relies heavily on subsea cables for its data. Photo: Getty Images

Two Taiwan Coast Guard vessels approach a Togo-flagged cargo ship suspected of damaging a submarine cable on February 25, 2025. Photo: Taiwan Coast Guard/EPA-EFE 

The anchor from oil tanker Eagle S, which damaged five underwater cables is brought up to the deck of HMS Belos outside Porkkalanniemi, Finland, in January 2025. Photo: Finnish Border Guard/AFP

An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on January 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up Nato patrols following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. Photo: AP

Japan eyes deeper defence ties with Australia, India to ease supply chain concerns

Type 90 battle tanks of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force are seen during a live fire exercise in Gotemba on June 7. Photo: AFP

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (right) is expected to visit Australia and India this week to advance defence cooperation. Photo: EPA / Jiji Press

JS Mikuma, a Mogami-class stealth frigate, is seen anchored at the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force naval base in Yokosuka in September 2025. Photo: Pool via AP

An F-2 fighter jet takes part in a live fire exercise conducted by the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force in Gotemba in May 2022. Photo: AFP

Indian military personnel stand by Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets at a military air base in southwestern France in November 2025. Photo: AFP

Vietnam’s To Lam eyes trade, defence boost during trip to Australia, New Zealand

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) greets Vietnamese President To Lam at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Photo: AAP/dpa

Vietnamese President To Lam attends a meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Photo: AAP/dpa

Can Australian uranium fuel India’s nuclear future without sparking an arms race?

A nuclear reactor complex in Maharashtra, India. Photo: NPCIL/AFP

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on Friday. Photo: Reuters

A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on July 6. Photo: Xinhua via AP

News

Asia

Australasia

The oyster farm, which lost a third of its stock, says it will not be able to replenish in time for Christmas


The oyster farm, which lost a third of its stock, says it will not be able to replenish in time for Christmas.


Crime

Food and Drinks

Sydney

New South Wales

Shellfish thieves in Australia make off with 400,000 oysters worth US$250,000

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The oyster farm, which lost a third of its stock, says it will not be able to replenish in time for Christmas

The oyster farm, which lost a third of its stock, says it will not be able to replenish in time for Christmas