DELIGHT AT OYSTER SUCCESS IN FIRTH OF FORTH

Delight at oyster success in Firth of Forth. 

• Environmentalists ‘delighted’ by success of oysters re-introduced to Firth of Forth
• 85% of the European flat oysters deployed during Spring this year have survived
• Just over 10,000 additional oysters deployed this autumn, reaching 30,000 project target
• 456 volunteers have helped to reintroduce oysters

 After an absence of nearly 100 years, thousands of European flat oysters, re-introduced into the Firth of Forth as part of an innovative project, are shown to be settling in well to their new environment.

Restoration Forth [1] partner Heriot Watt University recently led monitoring sessions with divers and underwater camera equipment to check on the oysters.  So far, the oysters monitored have shown an excellent 85% survival rate.

Over the past three years, Restoration Forth has been working with local communities to carry out trials aimed at restoring seagrass habitats and European flat oyster populations back to the waterway.  The aim of concentrating on these two species was to eventually improve the water quality, store carbon, support biodiversity and provide a nursery for young fish.

Timeline of oyster re-introduction into the Firth of Forth:

• September 2023: 4,000 European flat oysters were collected from Little Loch Broom in Ross and Cromarty
• Sept/Oct: volunteers helped support the biosecurity (cleaning) process of oysters ahead of the first deployment
• September 2023 – 4,000 European flat oysters were introduced into Firth of Forth for the first time in a century
• April/May 2024 – Around a further 16,000 European flat oysters were deployed into Firth of Forth
• May 2024 – Monitoring launched at all four restoration sites to track progress
• August 2024 – subtidal monitoring with divers & intertidal monitoring with community volunteers found oysters from the previous deployments to be settling in well in their new environment and conducted the first monitoring of roped oysters
• Since May, an average of 85% survivability rate across all four sites has been recorded
• Autumn2024 – A little over 10,000 more oysters were introduced into the Firth of Forth, bringing the total to 30,638 and new monitoring launched to record the winter survivability.

Professor of Marine Biodiversity, Bill Sanderson from Heriot Watt University said:

“From its inception, Restoration Forth has taken careful steps to find the best places to restore oysters to the Firth of Forth.  We are delighted that their high survival so far reflects the painstaking efforts we have made to support this initiative.”

Naomi Kennon, the Heriot-Watt Research Associate for the project added:

“We have worked with hundreds of people from around the Forth to clean and move oysters to their new home.  Working with the volunteers, over the next year we hope to see these oysters continue to thrive and to start to enhance the biodiversity on the seabed.

“Our project will not only bring back not only a native species lost to overfishing in the 1800’s, but also the ecosystem services those animals bring with them. Oysters enhance water quality through filter feeding, store carbon and enhance biodiversity by creating a complex habitat providing homes and shelter for countless other organisms.”

Anna Inman, Shellfish Engagement Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said:

“The community support for oyster restoration has been incredible. We truly appreciate all the hard work that has gone into bringing oysters back to the Firth of Forth. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of all the volunteers who have generously given their time. The project not only aims to revive marine life but also highlights the cultural heritage of oysters and emphasises our collective responsibility to restore and protect our seas for future generations.”

Naomi Arnold, Restoration Forth Project Manager, from WWF Scotland said:

“We’re delighted by the early signs of success.  This is down to the hard work of not only the staff involved, but the hundreds of volunteers, who have turned out in all weathers to help us prepare the oysters for deployment, and to physically put them in the water.  This is a key milestone in our project, with this success and the amount we have learned, things are looking very positive for future restoration in the area.”

The aim of Restoration Forth, a partnership with communities and organisations, is to restore 4 hectares of seagrass meadows and European flat oyster beds in the Firth of Forth. Partners delivering Restoration Forth include Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot Watt University, Marine Conservation Society, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Seabird Centre, The Ecology Centre, The Heart of Newhaven Community and WWF.

This three-year programme has been made possible by funding from Aviva, the Moondance Foundation, the ScottishPower Foundation, and Sky; this project is also supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, facilitated by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund, and managed by NatureScot.

Photo credit: Maverick Photo Agency