NamibWeb.com - The online guide to Namibia: Oyster farming at the coast

Oyster farming

This type of activity is conducted on Walvis Bay and Swakopmund salt works and is an added bonus to the main operations - salt harvesting.
The oysters are imported from Singapore, Thailand and Norway when it is a size of a nail and placed in a baskets which kept under water. Process of salt production requires regular pumping of a large quantity of fresh sea water into series of evaporation ponds. Atlantic water off the Namibian coast is ideally suited for this form of farming being very rich in nutrients, clean and of suitable temperature. In the first ponds oysters are cultivated.
Oysters require periodical sorting (according to size) and checking to prevent harmful warms to destroy it. The period of growth is between 6 to 10 months.
The biggest market is South Africa and Europe. Oysters can survive a long time (up to eight days) outside of water if kept in slightly wet conditions. The team of 30-35 people at Walvis Bay salt works and up to 10 people at Swakopmund salt works is employed in oyster cultivating.

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