Ema Sabljak
Thu, 2 February 2023
The project aims to breathe new life into the Firth of Forth’s once-thriving oyster habitats (Image: PR)
It was once the home to enormous oyster beds which were fished into near extinction more than 100 years ago.
Now, community efforts to restore seagrass habitats and native oyster populations in the Firth of Forth have reached their first landmark.
The Restoration Forth project has now reached its first full year and project leaders are now expecting to plant the first seagrass seeds in the coming weeks.
More than 4,000 locals have become involved in the project, managed by the World Wildlife Fund, during its first year, which focused on laying the foundations for the restoration work.
This included the preparation of 40,000 seeds which were carefully collected in Orkney and readied to be planted in the Forth.
Project manager Naomi Arnold said the interest and engagement from the local community has been “inspiring”.
HeraldScotland:
“The enthusiasm of our partners and funders but also, crucially, from members of the many communities that line the Forth, showcases how a project like this can work for both the marine environment and the people who live by it,” she added.
“Restoring the seagrass meadows and oyster beds of the Forth brings a whole host of benefits, from improved water quality and increased biodiversity, to storing carbon and reduced coastal erosion.
“After a year of hard work and preparation, we are excited that this spring will see the start of seagrass planting and oyster deployment – a start that will help breathe new life back into the Forth.”
The project aims to restore up to four hectares of seagrass and 10,000 oysters per year by the end of 2024. Experts say native oysters provide benefits to the ocean’s health, including filtering pollutants from the sea and acting as an important habitat for marine wildlife.
It is anticipated to cost £2.4 million to carry out the extensive restoration work, with the first funding coming from the ScottishPower Foundation which has supplied up to to £600,000 over three years.
The funding was granted by the foundation’s Marine Biodiversity Fund which was created to mark the Cop26 climate summit held in Glasgow.
Huge oyster beds, or scalps, once ran from Hound Point on the south shore of the Forth up to Golsford in East Lothian.
The scalps also stretched north across to Aberdour and Burntisland in Fife, covering over 50 square miles of the river banks with shellfish.
In the 1790s, as many as 30 million of the shellfish were harvested from the Forth in a single year, but overfishing saw oysters reach terminal decline.
But before the project can begin to bring the Forth back to its former oyster glory, project leaders have focused on unveiling the best locations for the restoration work to take place.
The locations chosen are suitable for growth but also because they are accessible for the community.
It is hoped that the residents will be able to engage with the project but also eventually take it forward in the long-term.
An appointed team of citizen scientists have also been working in partnership with Seawilding on the west coast of Scotland to establish processes to source native oysters for Restoration Forth.
The team has been scrubbing oysters to prevent the introduction of any harmful organisms during the project, in line with NatureScot and Marine Scotland guidelines.
Efforts have also been made to ensure that non-native species are not introduced into the Forth, and care was taken to ensure that only the east coast variant of seagrass was collected in Orkney.
More than 100 events, including talks and seed-processing days, have taken place in an effort to involve school pupils, university students, researchers, fishing communities, and an array of local groups.
The reintroduction of both species is expected to reap several benefits for both the eco-system and as a method of tackling the climate crisis. Melanie Hill, executive officer and trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “It’s so exciting to see the progress across the year of our first-ever Marine Biodiversity Fund project.
“Restoration Forth is supported by the biggest-ever grant awarded by the ScottishPower Foundation, and is a shining example of how we can take action now to tackle the climate emergency.
“Thriving marine environments are vital if we’re to have any chance of addressing the biodiversity and climate crises we all face.”
She added: “ Restoration Forth helps to do this and more, by engaging with the local community to educate them on the importance of these habitats to the wider ecosystem and our future.
“This collaborative approach can help provide the blueprint for further marine restoration projects across the country, with ScottishPower Foundation funding supporting future generations for years to come. I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
A group of partners are collaborating on the multi-million project including Edinburgh Shoreline Project, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heriot-Watt University and the Marine Conservation Society.
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