Wagga fishmongers say despite supply issues this year, there'll be plenty of seafood to go around the Xmas table

Sydney rock oysters were blighted by disease in some areas this year, while many east coast oyster farmers were affected by continual rain and flooding.

Add to that workforce shortages across the country and price rises across nearly all consumables, there were fears that shelves may be empty come the festive season.

According to ABS figures, meat and seafood prices have shot up 7.3 per cent in the 12 months to September, and 1.8 per cent in the last quarter alone.

Fruit and vegetables prices rose 16.2 per cent and dairy products jumped 12.1 per cent.

Gary Clark, the owner of famous Wagga seafood truck Fisherman's Paradise, said oyster stocks should be plentiful by Christmas, so long as the east coast doesn't cop another drenching in the coming weeks.

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Mr Clark gets all of his oysters from Batemans Bay and some from South Australia

"The poor buggers out at Batemans Bay have had a shocking few years with COVID and all of this rain, they've been shut for five months," he said.

"They had that much pollutant in the water because of the floods, you know them and all the dirty water running off the hills and whatever.

"They've got to wait for seven cycles to flush the system out.

"So they can sell but it just kept raining and kept raining and so they never had the opportunity to clean their lakes out."

Andy Meyers, executive officer of Oysters Australia, said it's been a "torrid few years" for the NSW oyster industry.

"It's been so wet, which is kind of slowing down growth across NSW, really in terms of oyster production. So they don't grow so well in fresh water," he said.

"Which probably contributed to a disease outbreak in Port Stephens, which happened towards the end of last year and at the start of this year."

Mr Meyers said there are more than 30 oyster-producing estuaries across Australia, so despite the issues along the east coast, there will still be supply.

"I think there will be oysters for Christmas. It's just a matter of which estuaries are going to be open and supplying, but certainly South Australia and Tasmania also have production as well," he said.

"I think there will be oysters ... there probably won't be quite as many as last year, but there will certainly be oysters for Christmas."

Seafood Industry Australia chief executive Veronica Papacosta said despite supply chain issues, she expects there to be plenty of seafood come December 25.

"Across the entire food supply network there has been impacts to the supply chain and labour shortages," she said.

"It's been a tough season for Sydney rock oyster growers with the loss of the Port Stephens oyster farms and the ongoing rain events along our eastern coast.

"This will put pressure on the supply available, but the Sydney rock oysters in-market are of fantastic quality."

Christmas dinner staples such as Australian prawns and rock lobsters will be "abundant" this year, Ms Papacosta said.

With supply and price issues, she suggests branching out this year and trying something new.

"Consumers don't need to worry, between our aquaculture and wild-caught products there will be a wide variety of Australian seafood available," she said.

"People should be on the lookout for some of our more underutilised species like mussels, calamari or octopus this Christmas.

"You might be able to nab yourself a seafood bargain, and maybe even find a new favourite."

Wagga Seafood Market proprietor Roji Cherian is expecting his biggest year yet as people get their first largely COVID/bushfire-free Yuletide in years.

"Last year it was beyond what we could handle [and this year] we are getting the same orders, so we're not doing anymore marketing," Mr Cherian said.

"Christmas is always the biggest [time of year], we really prepare, we have decorations, it's always a happy time."

Mr Cherian has placed his orders for all seafood, especially prawns and oysters, well in advance.

"Supply-wise there won't be a problem," he said.

"Definitely people are going to spend money for Christmas."

Mr Clark said he was already seeing production ramp up and was also confident of a bumper year.

"The orders have been put in ... and crossed fingers it doesn't rain up to Christmas," he said.

"We'll be right as [producers] will take a lot of [oysters] out and store them in tanks.

"I reckon they'll be fine. I reckon they'll have a bumper year.

"They always say there'll be a shortage of [prawns], but for some reason they tend to turn up."

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