The art and labour of grading Sydney Rock oysters — teaching the next generation about quality and pride in craft.
Grading day is when you really see what you've got. We pull the baskets up and sort them — cocktail, bistro, plate grade. Every oyster gets handled individually. People don't realise that. Each one is picked up, turned over, checked. The shape matters, the cup depth, the shell strength. A good Sydney Rock oyster should have a deep cup and a clean, briny flavour with a mineral finish. We grade thousands in a day. My kids help on weekends now. They complain about the early starts but I can see them learning the same thing I did — how to care about quality, how to take pride in what you produce.
Shaun Fisher
Stradbroke
Shaun Fisher is a pioneering First Nations oyster farmer from the Kooka community, dedicated to reviving traditional ecological practices while fostering sustainable innovation. A custodian of cultural heritage, Shaun's work with the robust oyster baskets, in collaboration with Aus Fish, aims to restore the ancient oyster reefs of Morton Bay, a vital part of the environment and his community's totemic history. His commitment to using sustainable practices not only preserves the natural ecosystem but also serves as an inspiring model for future generations. Shaun's passion for balancing environmental stewardship with the socio-economic empowerment of his people underscores his impactful role as a leader in cultural and ecological renaissance.
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