SCOTTISH SEAGRASS RESTORATION PROGRAMME WILL BENEFIT FISH STOCKS

Scottish seagrass restoration programme will benefit fish stocks. Commercial fish stocks in the Firth of Forth and adjacent areas of the North Sea could stand to benefit as a spin-off from an initiative to restore seagrass meadows to enhance the wider marine environment.
Fish Focus was recently invited to participate in a seagrass sowing programme on the vast expanse of tidal sandflats that stretch between Burntisland and Pettycur on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. Aided by a large band of dedicated volunteers, seagrass seeds were planted in a carefully planned manner into the inter-tidal sand.
Seagrass forms an important habitat for many marine creatures and are important nursery grounds for fish, offering protection and abundant food.
Seagrass was formerly more prolific and widespread in the Forth but a combination of factors over the last few centuries, including pollution, increased sedimentation in the water caused by agricultural drainage work in the 18th century in the Carse of Stirling, and coastal land reclamation has resulted in seagrass beds becoming much diminished.
Now, with the water quality in the Forth somewhat improved in recent decades, the project Restoration Forth believes the time is right to give seagrass a helping hand to flourish once more. Restoration Forth was formed in 2022 and is a project which works with communities and organisations to restore seagrass meadows and oysters in the firth.
For the project, the seeds are collected from rich seagrass beds in Orkney in summer, which hosts the same genetic variant as those found in the Forth. The seeds are stored in tanks over winter and then planted in early spring.
Lyle Boyle, seagrass officer with Restoration Forth, told Fish Focus that seagrass meadows deliver many environmental benefits, including boosting fish populations.
“The benefits seagrass brings are immense – they capture carbon, improve water quality, deliver coastal protection by stabilising the seabed, and provide an important habitat for a wide variety of marine life, as well as being important nursery areas for fish – including commercial species.”
He said species like juvenile pollack, saithe, herring and plaice all use seagrass meadows as nursery grounds. The Forth is a Special Protected Area, and was formerly important for fishing boats targeting a range of fish, but the fishery has since diminished, and the vessels that remain are now mainly reliant on shellfish.
On a global scale, communities around the world depend on seagrass meadows for food security and livelihoods, given their importance for juvenile fish. It is estimated that seagrass supports 20% of the world’s largest fisheries.
And, with seagrass being important for sequestering carbon, restoring Scottish seagrass beds will help in the battle against the climate crisis, which is already affecting the distribution of key fish stocks, including cold water loving species like cod, which are moving their range northwards.