Oysters to be transferred to the Solent in fishing bid

The Solent Oyster Restoration Project led by BLUE is working to restore the native oyster to the Solent, the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England and which once supported the biggest oyster fishery in Europe. This ambitious project has brought together a range of partners and stakeholders and aims to reintroduce 5 million oysters to the waterway over the next five years.

The European flat oyster or native oyster is an impressive animal and provides many ecosystem services. They’re capable of filtering 200 litres of water a day, helping to keep our inshore waters clear and more productive while also supporting many species of marine flora and fauna through the habitat they provide and as a source of food. In the UK the population has halved over the last 25 years, while globally an estimated 85% of oyster beds and reef habitats have been lost.

The Solent native oyster fishery, once the largest in Europe in the 1970s and early 80s, has collapsed and was temporarily closed in 2013.  Historical overfishing, disease, invasive species and pollution from both land and sea have all contributed to the oyster population loss.

Leading a coalition made up of fishermen, marine and local authorities, scientists and conservationists, BLUE seeks to significantly increase the population of native oysters in the Solent by 2020.  The restoration of the native oyster will provide wide-ranging ecological and social benefits for the region over the long-term by helping to improve water quality, foster valuable habitats and re-establish an important strand of the economy on the South Coast. Click here to read more about the Blue Marine Foundation’s oyster project.