Oyster grader Meronea Spencer with some of the first Bluff oysters of the season. Photo by NZPA.

The Bluff oyster season got off to a flying start today, with all 11 boats in the fleet out on Foveaux Strait hauling in a solid catch in good weather.

Barnes Oysters has six of the boats and manager Graeme Wright said its haul was between 7000 and 8000 dozen.

"They look not too bad at all,'' he said of this season's early quality.

"The expectation is that there should be similar levels to last year in catchability and availability and quality. We had a great season last year.''

The season runs until August 31 or until the quota set by the Ministry of Fisheries of 9.5 million oysters are harvested.

It is also subject to re-evaluation after the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research surveys the fishery to see the level of the parasitic disease bonamia, which wrecked oyster seasons in the early 1990s.

"There is still some bonamia there, but it is at low background levels and while it causes some mortality it is not enough to stop the fishery rebuilding,'' Mr Wright said.

And the price? They are retailing at $23 a dozen raw at the Barnes factory in Invercargill. Traditionally the price is more expensive in northern centres.

