Time was when the denizens of the Edinburgh Enlightenment dined on woodcock and pigeon, while the poor had to make do with the humble Scottish oyster. So plentiful were they along the foreshore of the Forth.

Since medieval times, they were not considered a delicacy, and so were available in quantity for poorer households to augment their haggis, neeps and tatties. But people became ever more skilled at locating and harvesting their immobile, shallow-water beds, until—like the great herring shoals in the North Sea—they were fished out.

After initiating a programme of restoration of native sea grass to areas where it formerly flourished, Restoration Forth is now working with volunteers to re-introduce oysters to the Firth of Forth. They will also be working alongside local organisations, including the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick. The native oyster has been missing from this location for some 100 years. Project partners and members of the local community will be deploying 20,000 oysters this autumn, with a further 10,000 next Spring. Together with restored seagrass meadows, the oysters will provide new habitats for marine life and improve water quality.

Supported by the World Wildlife Fund, the oysters will be collected from Little Loch Broom near Ullapool, where they have remained plentiful. The location of the restoration site is not being announced to ensure it remains undisturbed.

Both seagrass and oysters capture carbon and pollutants and stabilise the foreshore. Seagrasses also reduce wave energy, which helps prevent coastal erosion; native oysters reduce excess nutrients in the water and stabilise the seabed, improving water quality and clarity. 

The intention is to have complete 42 hectares of seagrass and 30,000 oysters by the end of 2024.

But, before seafood chefs start hunting them down to add to their menus, be aware Scottish oysters are smaller than the large Pacific oyster we are now used to. That said, they are sweeter and more succulent. And. if Scottish Enterprise and Marine Scotland were ever to pull themselves out of the passive, self-satisfied dwam they are in, there is great economic potential for development of shellfish husbandry. The wide, sheltered waters of the Forth are also suitable for the cultivation of mussels, cockles, and razor clams, as well as the currently modest shrimp, crab and lobster fisheries. Having such a seafood bonanza on its very doorstep could only add to Edinburgh’s stature as the second-most-popular tourist destination in Britain, as well as enhance Scotland’s reputation for and exports of, seafood.

#1083—418 words