2923 September October

GREEN CREDITS
Oyster nurseries at
Largs Marina
In 2021, Largs Yacht
Haven on the Firth of
Clyde in Scotland was
selected to take part
in the Wild Oysters
Project, which saw
1,300 native oysters
returned to the water
as part of an ambitious
restoration project to
bring back these ‘ocean
superheroes’ from the
brink of extinction.
The three-year,
£1.9 million Wild
Oysters Project is
a partnership between
the Zoological Society of
London (ZSL), Blue Marine Foundation
(BLUE) and British Marine.
Native oysters provide great benefits
to the health of the ocean by filtering
pollutants. However, human activities
have contributed to a 95% decline in
their numbers since the 1800s and
many of these benefits have been lost.
Today, Largs Yacht Haven is home to
nurseries filled with oysters suspended
underneath marina pontoons, which
create a micro habitat where the
oysters can reproduce. Each adult
oyster can filter 200 litres of water a
day.
British Marine environment executive,
James Scott-Anderson, said: “British
marinas are once again enabling the
recovery of oysters. Largs Yacht Haven
is one of the largest in the UK with over
The Seabin team at Plymouth Yacht
Haven l to r: Steve Kitchen, marina
director; Viki Lakey, boatyard
coordinator; Sam Blackburn,
engineer Boskalis Westminster; and
Isobel Loxton, compliance officer
Boskalis Westminster.
700 berths … [and is] a great
example of how large and busy
facilities can host environmental
projects, proving how industry,
science and sustainability can
work together successfully.”
Trapping nasties
At Fambridge Yacht Haven in
Essex and at Plymouth Yacht
Haven in Devon, Yacht Havens
has installed state-of-the-art
interceptor tanks that trap oils,
paint fragments and other
materials to make sure they cannot
re-enter the river when boats are lifted
ashore. The new system collects and
filters the water used when washing
boats, effectively recycling it and
reducing water wastage. The marina at
Fambridge has also partnered up with
a new waste provider to become a zero
waste site, ensuring that no waste ends
up in landfill.
34 www.marinaworld.com – September/October 2023