Two weeks ago 60 volunteers from the Friends of Chichester Harbour gathered at Portsmouth University’s Institute of Marine Sciences to scrub 4000 Native Oysters., Their aim was to clean them for biosecurity, ready to be introduced to the waters of Emsworth Yacht Harbour.
The Return of the Oyster
The oysters are being introduced as part of the Return of the Oyster project, a community-led initiative supported by The friends of Chichester Harbour and spearheaded by sisters Poppy and Lottie Johns from Emsworth. The purpose is to improve water quality and boost biodiversity within the area, and with 4000 oysters it is Eurpoe’s largest marina-based oyster restoration project. Supported by the Blue Marine Foundation, the introduction of the oysters will also boost oyster larvae within Chichester Harbour, which will have significant benefits for the planned restoration of an oyster reef within the harbour through the Solent Seascape Project later this year.
“Following our successful pilot phase last year, the 4,000 oysters have just started to be installed at Emsworth Yacht Harbour, at the east of this natural harbour within the wider Chichester Harbour,” says Poppy. “Here they will naturally filter and improve the water quality.”
‘”A mature oyster can filter up to 150 litres of water per day – significantly improving water quality and clarity,” adds Lottie. “The European Osterea edulisis endemic to Emsworth and has been a keystone species in our natural environment and part of our local heritage well before Romans came to area. However, since the 1700s – due to overfishing, disease and pollution – stocks have been depleted by over 95%. As well as cleaning up the waters, we hope our oysters will act as broodstock to help support the rehabilitation of local native populations.”
Volunteer Power
Ahead of the oysters being installed at Emsworth Yacht Harbour, a task force of 60 volunteers was organised by Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s Lead Ranger, Rosie Ellis to make sure the molluscs were properly cleaned to protect existing local oyster populations. The volunteers gathered at the Institute of Marine Science Laboratory in Southsea in late February to complete their task in a single day.
“Chichester Harbour Conservancy rangers regularly lead work parties for the Friends of Chichester Harbour. They help to attend to all types of habitat and maintenance tasks along our shorelines and landscapes, ” says Rosie.
“Swapping scrub bashing for lab work and heading to Southsea to clean oysters was a big change from our usual work parties. The undertaking also called for a larger size work party than normal with volunteers also coming from beyond the Friends of Chichester Harbour as well as within. Many thanks to all who donated their time. It was fantastic to have so many eager to pitch in with the oyster scrubbing and help with nature recovery in the harbour.”
Four thousand native oysters are being introduced the waters at Emsworth Yacht Harbour as the ‘Return of the Oyster’ initiative swings into action this month. The exciting new environmental project is aimed at improving water quality and boosting biodiversity within this patch of Chichester Harbour. With this undertaking, driving forward Europe’s largest oyster restoration project in a marina to date, Emsworth’s oyster heritage will also be honoured and revitalised.
Oysters and Emsworth’s Heritage
The ‘Return of the Oyster’ project will also help to articulate and re-energise a key aspect of Emsworth’s heritage, recalling how the town was pre-eminent in the UK oyster trade in the late 18th century. A reported 24,000 oysters were said to have been dredged on a single tide in 1760, and the Emsworth Museum has a gallery dedicated to how the town became increasingly known for its oyster bounty. Moored at Emsworth Yacht Harbour today is the beautifully restored Oyster Boat Terror – the last example of an open-decked working sail boat from that period – which has undergone an an extensive restoration and now takes passengers on trips around the harbour from May to September each year.
The Friends of Chichester Harbour
The project is supported by the Friends of Chichester Harbour who secured a donation to fund this stage of the project.
“Thanks to the Coward Endowment stepping forward with its very generous donation of £6,700, we have been able to secure the requisite funding for this stage of the ‘Return of the Oyster’ programme,” says the Friends of Chichester Harbour’s chairman, Heather Baker.
The Friends of Chichester Harbour support a number of nature recovery and access projects around Chichester Harbour, raising money from membership subscriptions and donations thanks, to the generosity of the public and its business partners. Find out more and donate to this valuable local charity here.