Charity takes next step in bid to restore lough’s oyster reefs

THOUSANDS of oysters have been planted in Belfast Lough in a bid to restore the species in the waterway.

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Nature conservation charity Ulster Wildlife placed 2,000 adult European oysters (Ostrea edulis) and more than 30,000 juvenile oysters, called spat, grown on scallop and mussel shells.

It marks the charity's next step in plans to restore oyster reefs, described as vital habitats that support the recovery of this threatened species and deliver wider benefits for people and the marine environment.

European oysters disappeared from Belfast Lough more than a century ago, due to overfishing, pollution and habitat loss.

However a small surviving number were discovered by researchers in 2020, inspiring Ulster Wildlife to establish a network of protected nurseries in Bangor, Glenarm, Belfast Harbour and Carrickfergus, to help restore the native species.