More than 15m oysters to be released in the North Sea for UK rewilding project
Summary
More than 15 million young oysters will be released into the North Sea near Orkney as part of a large project to restore oyster beds. Experts say this effort will help improve marine life, reduce carbon in the atmosphere, and serve as a model for restoring oyster beds around the UK and Europe.Key Facts
- The project aims to restore a large oyster bed around Orkney with over 15 million juvenile oysters.
- Oyster beds once covered large areas of UK coast but declined due to overfishing, pollution, climate change, and clearing for shipping.
- Restoring oyster beds can help marine ecosystems by supporting fish, sea mammals, seabirds, and many other species.
- The Green Britain Foundation and other groups manage the scheme, using a method that grows oysters on plates with calcium carbonate before placing them in the sea.
- Oyster reefs can capture carbon dioxide, helping to fight climate change by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
- The restored oyster bed is expected to cover over 100 hectares and could sequester up to 76 tonnes of CO2 each year initially.
- Over time, natural oyster reproduction could greatly increase carbon capture, possibly more than 1,000 times after 15 years.
- Local leaders support the project for its environmental benefits and its potential to balance the use of marine resources for future generations.
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