Chichester Harbour Environmental and Water Quality - Oysters?

[Pete Reed]

Hi Mark

I saw a fascinating article about the Billion Oyster Project in New York and other USA initiatives.
Link below.

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/01/10/calling-all-oysters-billions-of-bivalves-enlisted-in-climate-fight/

A few years ago I attended a Portsmouth University talk about using oysters in Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester harbours to clean the water and I know there used to be a lot of oysters, particularly around Emsworth.

Do you know if there is any current activity?
I suppose this is particularly relevant following Southern Water's dumping of sewage waste.

Pete

[Chris Partridge]

Countryfile covered the oyster research a couple of years back, so it seems to be continuing.
However, in today's News there is an alarming report of vibrio bacteria that kills oysters and gives us gastroenteritis being found in Chichester Harbour for the first time - here courtesy of climate change apparently. Sounds nasty.

[Mark Taylor]

Pete, I dont have a lot of knowledge of the oysters in our harbour today. I know that about 8 years ago, when we were still within the EU, a couple of French boats would visit Chi Harbour and dredge up oysters from the deep-water chanels. So I think these are Oysters in the wild. I dont believe there is any current cultivation of Oysters going on.  

As you say, oysters are very good at cleaning water, but would one want to eat them afer they have done that cleaning job. Emsworth had a thriving Oyster industry  until about 1906 when the Dean of Winchester suffered food poisoning after allegedly eating Emsworh Oysters. The link was never scientifically proven, but Emsworth village had just had all the houses linked up to a mains sewerage system as oposed to the previous earth clossets and cess pits. Unfortunately, the sewer just fed raw sewage into the area at the top of emsworth channel where all the nursery beds were for the cultivation of oysters. ALthough a couple of attempts have been made, Emsworth oysters have never really recovered.

I think the main source of UK oysters these days is Whitstable,  so I guess they are well fed on effluent that flows out of Lonfon down the Thames Estuary.

[James Griffin]

I had a dozen oysters last week from Paul at Alan Ray`s (the butcher and fishmonger) in Mengham HI
i asked where they come from and Paul said Chichester Harbour . They are put in a tank of clean water for i know not what length of time for cleaning . I believe this is a requirement if you want to export to the EU` France in particular. anyway they were fat juicy and delicious with a bottle of fizz and NO AFTER EFFECTS
just ask Paul if you want chapter and verse