OYSTER HOISTER SPONSORSHIP HELPING TO RESTORE NATIVE BEDS IN LOCH CRAIGNISH
 |
| Oyster Hoister at Ardfern Yacht Centre |
The plan is to restore 1 million native oysters to the Loch, where they were once prevalent, in order to filter and clean the water, sequester carbon and replace lost biodiversity. So far, community volunteers have introduced 60,000 native oysters to local restoration sites, and another 100,000 are growing in a floating nursery at the top of the lagoon for release in 2021.
This is community-led marine habitat restoration at its best!
Here at Ardfern Yacht Centre we are suspending “oyster hoisters” beneath the pontoons. Each hoister contains up to 100 juvenile native oysters which are cleaning the water and releasing spat into the water column adding to the efforts to restore local stocks. Meanwhile, once COVID
restrictions allow, pupils from 5 local primary schools will monitor them monthly, conducting “citizen science” and collecting important data.
You can be a part of this exciting community initiative, by sponsoring an oyster hoister. The sponsorship pays for the cost of the cage, the oysters and the ongoing school’s monitoring programme. The more sponsorship, the more hoisters! So far, we have 18 sponsored, with approx. 1000 oysters under the pontoons. So, if you don’t have a holding tank and would like to do your bit to help restore the health of the loch, please consider sponsoring.
The cost of sponsorship is £130 for the first year and a service charge of £60 annually (should you wish to continue). Each hoister will carry a label with your name. Seawilding have erected an information board next to the pier shed with more information and the names of all sponsors.
To find out more, contact info@seawilding.org and visit the website: www.seawilding.org
 |
| Inspecting and sorting Oysters |
