Pioneering oyster plan seeks schools’ support
A call is being made for schools to take part in a native oyster restoration project in Loch Craignish.
Over the next five years the charity Seawilding is planning to restore the native oyster beds at the loch with an exciting plan to reintroduce one million native oysters.
The protected species was once prevalent in most of Scottish sea lochs but predation, disease and bottom trawling have destroyed most populations.
It is now recognised native oyster beds are an important part of the local marine eco-system. Each oyster can filtrate and clean up to 200 litres of water a day, and the native oyster reefs enhance biodiversity by becoming fish spawning grounds and nurseries.
Back in March Seawilding secured a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to grow young native oysters over a five-year period in floating baskets on the loch. When they are semi-mature, the oysters will be moved to trial seabed sites around Loch Craignish, where it is hoped they will become a self-sustaining population.
Project co-ordinator Danny Renton told the Advertiser: ‘This is a pioneering project, driven by the Craignish community. Loch Craignish was once a rich environment for native oysters and scallops in particular, but bottom trawling since the 1980s has destroyed much of the seabed. Our community wants to reverse that. We hear a lot about rewilding, but there’s little action been taken so far with restoration of marine habitats – so what we are doing at Loch Craignish is an exciting opportunity to show that marine rewilding and reintroduction of priority marine species is possible.’
The project is teaming up with Scottish Association of Marine Science (SAMS) and the Department of Aquaculture from Stirling University to enable 20 marine science students to monitor, survey and research the restoration efforts over the next five years. To kick off the project, the charity along with local partner Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation and the Ardfern Yacht Centre, has been introducing native oysters in suspended cages under the pontoons of the yacht centre.
When schools open in
August, Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation will be working with pupils to monitor the oysters in the cages, measuring their growth and recording biodiversity.
Oly Hemmings and Pete Creech, the organisation’s rangers, initially want pupils from five local primary schools to get involved in this exciting project.
Any schools interested can email Oly and Pete at info@ heartofargyllwildlife.org for further information. The educational objectives are fully funded by the project’s funders, the National Lottery, and this includes travel to and from the project venue at Ardfern Yacht Centre. Oly and Pete also intend to engage with older schoolchildren and community groups as the project progresses.
For further information visit www.seawilding.org or email info@seawilding.org