Tyrone Hayes Selected for Seafood Industry Leadership Program
25 February 2026
We are very happy to announce that Tyrone Hayes, who leads GLaWAC’s Aquaculture Enterprise crew, has been selected for the 2026 National Seafood Industry Leadership Program.
Tyrone is one of a growing number of GLaWAC staff involved in deadly new projects on Sea Country – working more often from a boat than a ute or tractor.
Along with Harley Wanganeen and Tyler Hood, Tyrone has been spearheading our exciting Sydney rock oyster trial – farming oysters in the Gippsland Lakes and seeing whether it might be a viable economic enterprise in the near future.
Despite the name, Sydney rock oysters are also native to the Gippsland coast and grow wild in the Gippsland Lakes, where they are the dominant oyster species.
Tyrone is one of just 35 young people from across Australia selected for the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program, which will see him fly to Freemantle in March to begin a year-long series of workshops and education sessions.
The goal of the leadership program is to help these young professionals start and grow innovative and successful seafood enterprises.
GLaWAC’s oyster trial is supported by the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), who came down to Lakes Entrance this week to congratulate Tyrone and hear from Harley, Tyler and Tyrone how the trial was progressing.
A bit more than two years since the spat (baby oysters) were brought down from New South Wales and “planted” on specialised trays in shallow waters near Lakes Entrance, FRDC head honchos were able to taste a few oysters on Thursday.
The verdict? Delicious.
“This oyster project is a really big opportunity,” Tyrone said yesterday. “This could become a sustainable industry for our community, a way for us to make a living on Country.”
“But it’s also a learning opportunity. I’ve learned so much already, especially about water quality and the ecosystem of our waterways.”
