I'm very pleased to see the Eastney Pontoon and Bridge getting such good use. Not something that I envisaged when I designed it 40 years ago. Well done keep up the good work.
Only problem is that they have not introduced the oyster that were on the south coast. It is the northern pacific oyster that lives in brackish water, since the introduction, they have spread right up the tidal rivers. The reason what the oyster started to disappear was because the gravel is disappearing and sand is replacing it, this is happening because we are no longer getting gravel moving up the channel from the Celtic sea. Stanwood bay was the biggest oyster bed in the Solent, but it as nearly all gone, the SOA did try for years to keep the oyster numbers up by dropping broken tiles, with every storm the gravel moves and sand moves in to replace. Also this what other marine life are they killing off
It seems like they are being way too careful about it. Can't they just buy a few truckloads of oysters and dump them around the bay? Do they really need to be cleaned and each handled first?
Thanks for the comment. We understand that it may come across that we are being over cautious, however, biosecurity is actually one of the most important steps for oyster restoration where there is no longer a reproductively viable population in the area and you have to bring them in from elsewhere. Not only ecologically, but organisationally for our reputation as a legitimate oyster restoration project we need to do everything in our power to ensure we are making the environment a better place, not making it worse. Invasive non-native species are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss both on land and in the sea. We want to do everything within our power to ensure that we minimise any opportunities for these species to piggyback on movements of native oysters. Along with experts from around the world, we have complied a set of best practice guidelines that allow projects to follow procedures, if we are not following them ourselves, then we are not setting the right example for others. We also have a legal duty as these biosecurity procedures are written into our marine licences. Although biosecurity takes a long time, it is the best option we have until we can scale up production of native oysters in the local waters.
I'm very pleased to see the Eastney Pontoon and Bridge getting such good use. Not something that I envisaged when I designed it 40 years ago. Well done keep up the good work.
Encouraging and inspiring - thanks to all the team, you are truly making a difference to the future of the Solent and the fisher folk of the region!
thanks for all your good work on restoration! I know that it's such a battle for even a small project. Good on you!
Only problem is that they have not introduced the oyster that were on the south coast. It is the northern pacific oyster that lives in brackish water, since the introduction, they have spread right up the tidal rivers. The reason what the oyster started to disappear was because the gravel is disappearing and sand is replacing it, this is happening because we are no longer getting gravel moving up the channel from the Celtic sea.
Stanwood bay was the biggest oyster bed in the Solent, but it as nearly all gone, the SOA did try for years to keep the oyster numbers up by dropping broken tiles, with every storm the gravel moves and sand moves in to replace.
Also this what other marine life are they killing off
Great video thanks so much for sharing and the work done. Is 30Hectares in 5 years considered good pace? :)
It seems like they are being way too careful about it. Can't they just buy a few truckloads of oysters and dump them around the bay? Do they really need to be cleaned and each handled first?
Thanks for the comment. We understand that it may come across that we are being over cautious, however, biosecurity is actually one of the most important steps for oyster restoration where there is no longer a reproductively viable population in the area and you have to bring them in from elsewhere. Not only ecologically, but organisationally for our reputation as a legitimate oyster restoration project we need to do everything in our power to ensure we are making the environment a better place, not making it worse.
Invasive non-native species are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss both on land and in the sea. We want to do everything within our power to ensure that we minimise any opportunities for these species to piggyback on movements of native oysters. Along with experts from around the world, we have complied a set of best practice guidelines that allow projects to follow procedures, if we are not following them ourselves, then we are not setting the right example for others. We also have a legal duty as these biosecurity procedures are written into our marine licences.
Although biosecurity takes a long time, it is the best option we have until we can scale up production of native oysters in the local waters.