Image: Forth Railway Bridge by Sean Kuriyan

Another 10,000 European flat oysters have been successfully reintroduced into the Firth of Forth, bringing the total number planted over the past four years to 40,000.

The project has seen significant success so far, with the reintroduced oysters reported to be thriving in their new habitat. Encouragingly, the oysters returned to the Forth have shown an 85% survival rate this past winter.

Naomi Kennon, a research assistant from Heriot-Watt University, noted that as the oysters grow and their numbers increase, they will play a vital role in enhancing biodiversity and improving water quality, providing long-term benefits to the local communities involved.

Restoration Forth aims to restore up to four hectares of both seagrass meadows and European flat oyster beds in the Firth of Forth. This ambitious goal relies heavily on partnership and community engagement.

A key aspect of the project’s success is the involvement of local volunteer groups, including the Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council (ELREC).  Volunteers have played a crucial role, such as hand scrubbing thousands of oysters to prepare them for reintroduction or joining the Restoration Forth team on a boat to help place the oysters directly into the water. Anna Inman from project partner Marine Conservation Society praised the ELREC group’s significant contribution, noting that scrubbing oysters is demanding work and it was rewarding for volunteers to see the final step of the process.

The Restoration Forth project is delivered through a collaboration of various partners, including Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, The Heart of Newhaven Community, and WWF.

The current phase of work is supported by funding from Sky and the Cinven Foundation. Additional backing comes from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, which is managed by NatureScot. Volunteers like those from ELREC hope for continued funding to ensure this passionate community project can keep growing stronger.