There’s something about akoya: why WA’s seafood delicacy is on the rise

Once grown mostly for pearls, akoya is today a prized ingredient that is popping up on restaurant menus across Australia. As well as having a unique flavour profile, this native West Australian shellfish has a lower impact on the environment than many other seafoods, making it popular with diners. Akoya don’t require feed, chemicals or much input at all.

Rob Michael, head of aquaculture at seafood brand Leeuwin Coast, part of the Harvest Road agribusiness, says akoya has some special characteristics.

“The way we grow akoya, and the way it behaves in the wild, is very different to all other shellfish,” he says. Unlike oysters, akoya spend their entire life cycle underwater, with a preference for being immersed in cold, deep saltwater. Coastal Albany is the ideal place for akoya to grow.

“The site is sheltered, deep and oceanic,” Michael says. “It’s pretty rare to have all those combinations here in Western Australia. On top of that, we’ve got two major rivers in an estuary right out the front of it that drives the nutrient cycle for this region.”

After akoya are hatched in a land-based hatchery, they naturally attach themselves to long lines of rope, Michael says. These ropes are then dropped nine metres deep into the cold, clear waters off Mistaken Island, Albany, where the akoya will stay virtually untouched until harvested about two years later, before being snap-frozen and sent to restaurants around Australia.

Over on the east coast, the once under-the-radar akoya is making waves on the restaurant scene. Promenade Bondi Beach’s executive chef Chris Benedet says it “ticks all of our boxes with its flavour [and] versatility.”

Photograph: Promenade Bondi Beach

While some diners may be unfamiliar with akoya, this is likely to change as more chefs embrace this distinctive ingredient that’s beginning to make a mark on the culinary world.

“I find akoya to have the meatiness of mussels, the sweetness of scallops and the slight brininess of an oyster,” Benedet says. “They are very unique.”

Benedet has created a range of dishes that hero akoya, from panko-crumbed, fried akoya served with a tangy yoghurt tartar sauce (pictured) to deep-fried akoya tossed with garlic butter and shallots. “I also love roasting them in a really hot charcoal oven or on the barbecue covered in herb butter, finished with fresh chives and a squeeze of lemon,” Benedet says. “There isn’t anything similar to it. It’s a great, sustainable Australian seafood.”

Harvest Road’s head of ESG (environment, social and governance), Dr Scott Strachan, is putting his passion for the environment to good use. Having studied environmental science, majoring in freshwater biology and management (his PhD investigated the impacts of climate change on wetland ecosystems), Dr Strachan is excited about akoya’s potential.

Rob Michael, head of aquaculture at Leeuwin Coast.

Food waste is responsible for about 3% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, and minimising how much food ends up in landfill is important. As the akoya is snap-frozen at harvest and can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, it’s less likely to spoil and be thrown away.

Dr Strachan says: “Freezing obviously gives the akoya a longer shelf life … you can pull a couple out when you want to consume them. It’s an exciting product to work with.”

The Harvest Road aquaculture team has installed solar panels on boats that power the winches that are essential to akoya production and harvesting. It has also been proactive about making changes to equipment.

Michael says: “We’ve started shifting away from traditional ropes that contain lead. Even though it’s not yet a requirement in the industry, it probably will be in the next 10 years. So we’re staying ahead of it.”

Downstream emissions are also a consideration. Before being shipped, akoya is packed in recyclable cardboard boxes instead of non-biodegradable packaging such as polystyrene, which can take centuries to break down.

Global food production is the main driver of biodiversity loss, and more people are carefully considering the environmental impacts of what they put on their plates. Akoya provides diners with a lower impact option, without the need to sacrifice taste.

Photograph: Sarah Hewer

“Shellfish are inherently sustainable because they are filter feeders, so you don’t have to feed them when they are growing in the ocean,” Dr Strachan says.

“They’re also creating habitat for other marine invertebrates to live in around the sites.”

An in-house ecologist has completed video monitoring surveys of Harvest Road’s growing area to determine what marine species live around the leases. Michael has seen for himself how the marine ecosystem has evolved over time.

“Very quickly, we’re seeing all sorts of communities of fish and crustaceans moving in, because it’s an instant habitat for them,” he says. “Some of these sites have been running for years and years. They’ve got all sorts of resident fish hanging around them. It’s pretty cool.”

Produced in the ocean among a diverse variety of other marine creatures, akoya are grown as nature intended, in symbiosis with other sea life.

Dr Strachan says: “There are no real inputs. You don’t have to use any chemicals. It’s just really natural and pristine. The work we’re doing around biodiversity and looking after our oceans is really exciting.”

Discover more about the Leeuwin Coast Akoya and find out where you can try them.