Hauling baskets of oysters out of the Clyde River at Batemans Bay is how Kevin McAsh begins most days.
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It takes just four hours of harvesting, cleaning and sorting for Mr McAsh to have 700 dozen Sydney rock oysters bagged and ready to ship off to Ulladulla.
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But operations haven't always been as streamlined.
Mr McAsh has been converting his 22ha farm since he took it over in 2004, replacing the traditional stick method of cultivation with a more environmentally friendly and sustainable practice.
He said it was an industry-wide move and while some farmers along the river were still using the tarred wooden poles to capture and grow oysters, it was a rapidly diminishing practice.
''The problem really is the cost,'' he said. ''To convert, it's an expensive proposition. The stuff here costs about $30,000 a hectare. If you've got 20ha, it's not something you can do overnight.''
The newer single-seed cultivation method produces more uniform oysters that are easier to open, but Mr McAsh said it was environmental concerns rather than a boost in market prices behind the push for cleaner practices.
''The industry has realised that it needs to be a bit more environmentally sensitive,'' he said.
''We've always seen ourselves as stewards of the river.''
Along with other oyster farmers along the Clyde River, McAsh Oysters has implemented an environmental management system involving replacing tarred timber infrastructure from stick culture with plastic and recycled products.
As chairman of the NSW Farmers Oyster Committee, Mr McAsh is also heavily involved in testing salinity levels of the river after heavy rains.
''When the salinity level falls below 25, we can't harvest,'' he said.
''The theory is there would have been a lot of run-off and the oysters would be contaminated ... If it's too dry, the oysters won't grow because there's no food. If it's too wet, we can't harvest.''
Changes in salinity levels have caused harvesting to shut down several times throughout the year, but the several days out of business haven't been enough to deter Mr McAsh from plans to expand his operations.
He said they produced about 50,000 dozen oysters a year and were looking to triple the number over the coming 18 months. ''This past year has been good,'' he said. ''If you've got good oysters, you'll have no problems selling them.''
This reporter is on Twitter: @stephanieando