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British oyster restoration project thriving
"Oysters make a huge impact to the environment, including providing an essential habitat to important species" - Celine Gamble, project manager ZSL.

Oyster nurseries providing important habitat for other marine life.

The Wild Oysters Project has announced that it has found over 27,000 marine animals living among its native oyster nurseries.

This means that alongside restoring and helping oysters, the project is supporting a wide variety of marine life in coastal regions across the UK.

Aiming to restore coastal waters around the UK, the project is bringing back native oysters after their population declined by a whopping 95 per cent. 

Blue Marine Foundation, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and British Marine are collaborating on The Wild Oysters Project, and have set up over 140 oyster nurseries and 4,000 oysters in River Conwy (Wales), Firth of Clyde (Scotland) and Tyne and Wear (England).

One year on from the implementation of the project, 65 species have been discovered living alongside the oysters. These include the Critically Endangered European eel, the common prawn and shore crab.

Restoration project manager Matt Uttley, from Blue Marine, explained: “It is fantastic that we are now observing an increase in biodiversity around the nurseries. Native oysters are ecosystem engineers, meaning they create a complex 3D habitat that provides feeding and nursery grounds for other species. 

“Where we find wild populations of native oysters, we also find an increased number of other species. 

“Given that native oyster beds are so crucial to marine life, yet are one of the most threatened marine habitats in Europe, the work of the Wild Oysters project to restore these lost habitats is essential.”

Mature oysters in the nurseries have now begun to release the next generation of oysters to the seabed. These youngsters will settle across the three oyster reefs and continue the work of restoring the biodiversity of the coastline of Britain.

Celine Gamble, wild oysters project manager ZSL, commented on its success: “In a bid to restore native oyster populations, and in turn work towards the return of healthy, resilient coastal waters, we placed nurseries filled with oysters underneath marina pontoons. 

“So far, with the support of over 200 local community volunteers, who dedicated have over 2,000 hours, we have already seen oysters have a hugely positive impact, in what is a really short amount of time.

“Despite their small size oysters make a huge impact to their environment, including providing an essential habitat to important species such as butter fish, corkwing wrasse, crabs, amphipod crustaceans, blue mussels, rock cook fish and worm pipefish. 

“We have been delighted to find all of these living alongside the native oyster nurseries we established, within just a year of us starting the project.

“We can estimate, in just one year, the 4,000 oysters have now filtered out pollutants in almost 98 million litres of water, the equivalent of almost half a million bathtubs of water. They are the superheroes of our oceans.”

 

Images (C) ZSL/The Wild Oyster Project - images taken at Conwy Bay

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.