Fortune on the rocks, oyster cultures are huge in South East Asia. They are usually sold as fresh, shucked, dried, brined, pickled, or processed into sauce that can be found in restaurants, supermarkets and even in our hawker centres – Fried Oyster Omelette.
Because of its nutritional value, oysters are being cultured in many places, and sold to other areas of the globe, serving as a source of foreign exchange currency for many countries.
For example, in the Philippines, cultured molluscs such as oysters and mussels are commonly sold overseas. In Western Visayas, the exportation of oysters makes up 30% of their income earn. Back in 1980, approximately 180,000kg of oyster meat valued at SGD$573 million was exported to Singapore and from 1994 to 1995, there was a sudden surge of more than 20% in production of molluscs within a year.
Oyster farming has also been a source of livelihood for many coastal communities. Oysters can be grown in estuaries where hydrographic conditions can administer oyster growth. When the sea gets too rough for fishing, seamen and fishermen can turn to oyster farms, thereby, diversifying their multiple sources of livelihood to earn their incomes.