Sparkes and Saxon Wharf as well as the pontoons at Portsmouth University and the pontoon that MDL Marinas installed at Land Rover BAR HQ.
Dean Smith, Commercial
Director of MDL Marinas said: “Helping to restore the native oyster population, an important part of the local ecosystem which removes pollutants and provides habitats, is one of many ways that the boating community can give back to the ocean and improve the local waters around us for our future enjoyment.” The native oyster population in the UK has halved over the last 25 years, while globally an estimated 85% of oyster beds and reef habitats have been lost. The restoration of the native oyster will provide wide- ranging ecological and social benefits for the region over the long-term by helping to improve water quality, foster valuable habitats and re- establish an important strand of the economy on the South Coast.
Leading a coalition made up of fishermen, marine and local authorities, scientists and conservationists, BLUE seeks to significantly increase the population of native oysters in the Solent by 2020 with the long-term aim of achieving sustainable stocks and with the likely added benefit of improved Solent water quality, ecosystems and associated benefits for local inshore fisheries. Tim Glover, BLUE’s UK
Projects Director explained the significance of the next stage of the Solent Oyster Restoration Project: “Last year we started this project with pilots at Land Rover BAR and the University
of Portsmouth’s raft in Langstone Harbour (monitored by scientists from the University) which showed that the technique of suspending cages of oysters under floating pontoons can result in healthy reproduction and low mortality. Now BLUE is ready to go a stage further. Our aim is to introduce up to 1 million oysters to the Solent over the course of 2017, mostly into protected seabed sites. We hope this five-year programme will have a transformational effect on the Solent in the long-term.”
Five Reasons To Restore Oysters to the Solent 1. Oysters can improve water quality by filtering large volumes of water and removing pollutants (a single native oyster can filter up to 200 litres of water a day).
2. Oyster beds provide a habitat and rich food source for marine life and can increase the productivity of the ecosystem.
3. The restoration of oyster habitats could help to boost some fish populations and improve catches for both recreational and commercial fishermen over the long-term.
4. Alongside careful fisheries management, restoring the oyster population will help to ensure a sustainable supply of oysters for harvesting in the long term - re-establishing an important strand of the economy on the south coast.
5. Finally, oysters provide a range of important ecosystem services that will help to improve the health of an entire waterway providing
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enhanced recreational and other social benefits for both local communities and visitors to the Solent.
Jo Grindley, CMO/CCO of Land Rover BAR said: “Sustainability is an integral part of our ethos and working alongside our Exclusive Sustainability Partner 11th Hour Racing we are committed to becoming the most sustainable sports team in the UK. With an opportunity to make a real impact on the ecosystem on our doorstep, in partnership with MDL Marinas, BLUE and the University of Portsmouth, we were delighted to host the first trial under our pontoon at our base in Portsmouth. To see the impact that can be made when key companies partner together is particularly exciting and we look forward to seeing the positive effect this project will have in the Solent and hope it will inspire others to take action.”
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