Local Partner: Seawilding

Native oysters are ecosystem engineers, filtering and cleaning water, storing carbon, and contributing substantially to inshore biodiversity by creating reefs that become fish spawning grounds and nurseries. Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation granted £15,000 to local partner Seawilding to establish a native oyster nursery at the head of Loch Broom to cultivate 100,000 oysters a year for 3 years, in order to regenerate the depleted bed in the region. As well as the clear environmental benefits this will bring, this project will help to empower local communities, creating a pool of trained and committed practitioners and advocates with a vested interest in championing marine conservation in the area