Approximately 400,000 juvenile oysters were stolen from Latitude 31 Oyster Co’s farm near Taree on the New South Wales Mid North Coast earlier in 2026. The theft involved about 320 bags of oysters taken from the farm located at Scotts Creek on Oxley Island, Manning River [1, 2, 3].
The stolen oysters were juvenile and not ready for immediate sale, requiring an additional four to six months of growth before reaching market size [1, 3]. Farm owner Ryan Freeman reported losing roughly one-third of the farm’s stock and said the theft will have a significant impact. "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 told reporters [4, 2, 5].
The estimated value of the stolen oysters varies. Most sources place the value at around A$350,000, but police estimated it at about A$233,000. Freeman said the stolen stock and related equipment could be worth as much as A$400,000 [1, 4, 2, 5, 3].
Latitude 31 Oyster Co said the theft affects more than just their business. "Oyster theft impacts far more than just the individual farmer. It affects our businesses, our families and the reputation of the entire NSW oyster industry," the company said. "There are a lot of good people in this industry, and we know farmers look out for each other" [1].
The theft was reported to police on August 25, 2026, though it occurred earlier in the year [4, 5]. Police have urged the public to provide any information or CCTV footage that could assist the investigation [1, 4, 5, 3].
The oyster industry in the region is still recovering from past flood damages in 2021 and 2025, making the loss particularly harmful [1].
Authorities continue their investigation and are asking anyone with relevant details to come forward.
