The Bluff oyster is recognised as a New Zealand icon and as shareholders in one of the country’s oldest and most valued fisheries, the Bluff oyster fishery, we wish to protect and enhance it for future generations through sustainable management.

To help protect and enhance the Bluff oyster fishery a commercial stakeholder organisation was formed in 1992, representing the combined interests of owners of Individual Transferable Quota shares in the fishery. Originally named Bluff Oyster Enhancement Company, the limited liability company was renamed in 1997 to Bluff Oyster Management Company Ltd (BOMC).

Within the BOMC 100 percent of Bluff oyster fishery quota ownership businesses are represented across 18 shareholders. BOMC’s primary role is to ensure the sustainable management of the Bluff oyster fishery on behalf of the quota owners. We fund and coordinate research activities with Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and fisheries scientist Bob Street of Southern Shellfish to better understand how the fishery operates and undertake regular monitoring of the stock (OYU5). This investment helps us provide up-to-date information on the status of the fishery and allows for informed management decisions.