Neal Bradshaw (79), known as Beagle to his mates, is one of three openers in their 70s at Barnes Oysters, in Invercargill.
They and the factory's other openers were starting to wind down this week, with the last fresh oysters for this season expected to be harvested at the weekend.
While he declined to talk to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, he did let on to his boss Graeme Barnes that he had been opening oysters for the company since 1975.
He first opened oysters in Bluff in 1957 but took time off to fish and do other things until he settled at Barnes.
Mr Barnes described Mr Bradshaw as a ''true soldier'' who had never missed a day at work in the 18 years he could remember.
He estimated Mr Bradshaw would have opened about 450,000 oysters, or 37,000 dozen, this season alone.
The Bluff oyster fleet had harvested 13.2 million oysters this season, up from 11.6 million last year. The catch was still below the industry's limit of 14.95 million.
It had been a ''fantastic'' season as the boats had been out for the full six months, the oysters were good and the markets were strong, he said.
''It's been really good this year, as good as its ever been.''
He was unsure why that was the case, but the beds were continually rebuilding so there were more mature oysters around.
''The weather has been kind to us. The first three months were brilliant.''
With the word going out that the season was due to end, the demand for oysters had increased again in the past week, Mr Barnes said.
''It's been crazy again this week.''
The Bluff oyster season officially ends on August 31.
