Wightlink joins volunteer initiative to restore native oysters to the Solent

Wightlink, a ferry company that operates routes across The Solent between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has supported a volunteer oyster restoration initiative that plans to restore native oysters to The Solent.

Commercial director of the ferry company Phil Delaney got involved with the cleaning and sorting of over 15,000 oysters at the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Marine Science.

The oysters were sourced from an estuary in Wales and have now been placed on a newly created reef on the bed of the River Hamble. The sessions were organised by Dr Luke Helmer, the Restoration Science Officer at the Blue Marine Foundation.

Phil Delaney said: “I enjoyed getting involved in cleaning the oysters ready for their new home in Solent waters and am delighted we at Wightlink are playing our part in the restoration project.”

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Wightlink itself hosts oyster nurseries in the Lymington River. The company's participation in this initiative reflects their understanding of the oyster as part of the ocean's eco system, one oyster is capable of filtering up to 200 litres of water per day. Oyster reefs can also act as a natural defence against coastal erosion.

The oyster population in The Solent has been falling since 2006. The Solent was home to the largest native oyster fishery in Europe between 1972 and 2006, but this collapsed in 2013 due to the drastic decline in Solent oysters.

In the UK the oyster population has fallen by 95 per cent as a result of overfishing, pollution, disease, habitat loss and other pressures.

Dr Luke Helmer said: “Our volunteers are invaluable in helping us prepare the oysters for their new home in Solent waters as we work to create a healthy self-sustaining population and highlight their importance to both people and nature.”

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