A DEAD reef brought back to life in the Dornoch Firth could help restore millions of native oysters to European waters, it is hoped.
Native European oysters were present in the waterway for thousands of years until 19th-century overfishing destroyed the local population.
Some 300 were taken from Loch Ryan and placed on two Dornoch Firth sites in 2017 as part of scientific efforts to boost biodiversity and recreate natural reefs – a European first.
In October researchers began increasing numbers to 20,000 as part of a scheme aimed at restoring the shellfish to pre-1800s levels.
Now it is hoped that the scheme could see millions more returned to the seas around Wales, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, England, Belgium and Croatia.
Experts from across the continent will gather in Edinburgh today for the second Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (Nora) conference. The event is hosted by the Glenmorangie Company, which is funding the Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project (Deep), as well as partners including Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Dr Bill Sanderson of Heriot-Watt University, who acts as research director for Deep, will chair the event at The Royal Society Edinburgh. He said: “This is a game-changing moment for marine conservation.
“Nora’s pledge to bring back oyster reefs across Europe opens the door to widespread restoration, with untold benefits for our seas. Deep’s ground-breaking work in the Dornoch Firth proves that it is possible to return oysters to areas in which they have become extinct.”
It is hoped that reef restoration will improve water quality and help other species thrive.
By 2025, Deep aims to have built up 40 hectares worth of oyster cover, with 4m molluscs present to create self-sustaining reefs.
Professor Henning von Nordheim, head of the marine conservation department in Germany’s federal conservation agency BfN, commented: “When we founded Nora in 2017 in Berlin, we gratefully realised the overwhelming support and eagerness of so many European partners to join this fascinating vision. There is a real chance to restore large areas of our over exploited marine ecosystems with native oysters, for the benefit of marine biodiversity and sea water purification all around Europe.
“We can learn a lot from each other at this gathering in Edinburgh.”
Natural Environment Minister Mairi Gougeon said: “The Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project is a fantastic Scottish success story which will improve water quality and biodiversity in the Dornoch Firth.
“Glenmorangie, Heriot-Watt University and the Marine Conservation Society can all be incredibly proud of this pioneering partnership and I look forward to the reef, and the clear benefits it will provide, being further established in the coming years.”
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