Oysters in the Forth
Nov 6th, 2009 | By ssacn | Category: SSACN AnnouncementsA University of Stirling researcher has discovered live oysters in the Firth of Forth, more than 50 years after they were declared extinct in the area.
At its peak, the Firth of Forth oyster fishery produced more than 30 million oysters a year, but in common with most other commercially valuable marine species, over-harvesting caused the collapse of the fishery; surveys of the Firth of Forth in 1957 reported that oysters were biologically extinct.
The discovery that they are not, after all, extinct shows that fisheries can recover in time if left alone, however if we are not to wait the 50 years or so nature requires to do the job, it is essential that the Scottish government and fisheries managers establish regeneration projects for each of the many depleted stocks.
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