Artificial reef aims to bring wild oysters back
Wild Oysters are set to be introduced into Conwy Bay after an almost two-year delay was brought to an end by a succession of storms.
Bangor University have been given permission to proceed to the final stage of the project and "reseed" a 660-tonne artificial reef.
Harbourmaster Matthew Forbes said the project would "finally move towards completion" with the first distribution run set to take place on Friday.
Wild oysters, once a major part of Wales's fishing industry, have been in decline as a result of over-fishing, changes in water quality, and disease.
It was first reported in July 2023 that Bangor University was working with the Zoological Society of London to reintroduce wild oysters into the waters.
Conwy Council's Harbour Advisory Committee met this week for an update on the project.
Speaking at the meeting, harbourmaster Matthew Forbes said the reef was initially "above the marine licensed permitted height".
"Over the last couple of years, storms have knocked the reef height down," he added.
Mr Forbes said Natural Resources Wales had agreed the project could now move forward and 76 bags of oysters were ready to be distributed.
Meeting chairwoman Joan Vaughan said it would be "lovely" to have oysters in the River Conwy.
Native oysters used to be found around Conwy in large numbers but have virtually disappeared in recent years.
Oyster beds were a common sight in the Menai Strait and around Anglesey.
The Wild Oysters Project website said they were a "vital food source" for coastal communities and "contributed" to the Welsh economy.
The Mumbles or 'Oystermouth' fishery was the largest in Wales supporting 400 fishers across 188 boats.
In the mid-1800s Welsh oyster boats reported landing 8,000 oysters daily, but up to 15,000 to 20,000 oysters in some areas.
The efforts to reintroduce the shellfish in Wales follow a pattern of declining numbers in other parts of the UK.
A wildlife project on the East Yorkshire coast is testing a new breeding technique to reintroduce 500,000 native European flat oysters over the next five years.
It was also mooted that oysters could return to the Thames as part of an effort to clean London's rivers last year.
Mass oyster release aims to stop species dying out
New breeding technique aims to bring back oysters
Baby oysters move from maternity ward to nursery
https://wild-oysters.org/conwy-bay/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Captain James Cook's lost ship Endeavour discovered after 250 years
Holy ship. Captain James Cook's famous lost ship Endeavour has been rediscovered off Rhode Island, closing the book on a maritime mystery that has endured for 250 years. The iconic vessel's alleged final resting spot was detailed in a recent report by the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM), which had been searching for the lost ship since 1999. Advertisement 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' said museum director Daryl Karp of the document, which he described as the 'definitive statement' on the project, Pen News reported. 'It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.' During the British explorer's first expedition between 1768 and 1771, the HMS Endeavour circled the globe and became the first European ship to land in Eastern Australia and circumnavigate New Zealand. 3 A replica of the Endeavour, Captain Cook's legendary ship. Credit: David Knight/ANMM via Pen News Advertisement Unfortunately, the legendary ship fell into obscurity shortly thereafter when it was repurposed as a transport ship for British troops. Endeavour was then sold off to the shipping company Mather and Co, before getting refitted and renamed the Lord Sandwich in 1775, when she formed part of the British fleet during the Revolutionary War. Endeavour was finally scuttled off the coast of the US in 1778. 3 A 3D image of the shipwreck site. 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' said museum director Daryl Karp of the document, which he described as the 'definitive statement' on the project. Credit: ANMM via Pen News Advertisement The sunken remains then lay at the bottom of the ocean for two and a half centuries until experts formally identified the ship with a wreck called RI 2395, which was located in Newport Harbor, RI. Researchers were able to confirm that it was indeed Cook's lost ship by comparing the wreckage with the vessel's historic plans, finding that the placement of certain timbers was a dead ringer for the locations of its main and fore masts in the outline. 3 Painting of legendary English explorer Captain James Cook. Getty Images Meanwhile, the wreck's measurements matched those taken during a 1768 survey of the Endeavour. Advertisement 'The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimeters – not inches, but millimeters,' declared ANMM archaeologist, Kieran Hosty. 'The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical.' He added, 'This stem scarf is also a very unique feature – we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ship's plans, and we can't find anything else like it.' If that wasn't proof enough, analysis of the wood revealed that the timber was British in origin. This finding was consistent with reports that the Endeavour was repaired in 1776. Despite the so-called 'preponderance of evidence,' ANMM has received some backlash over the alleged discovery. When the museum published its preliminary findings in 2022, its research partners at the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) refuted the claim, declaring that they were running point on the project and that the research was 'premature' and a 'breach of contract.' ANMM acknowledged RIMAP's 'fine historical analysis and detailed artifact recording' in a statement, adding that while their fellow research org 'continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour,' they are 'not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.' Nonetheless, ANMM archaeologist James Hunter claims that there are enough criteria to confirm the ship's identity. He pointed out that the Endeavour was 'intentionally scuttled,' meaning that the chances of 'finding artifacts that would provide an immediate identification, such as a bell, were very unlikely.' Advertisement 'Anything that was of value would have been stripped out of that ship before it was sunk,' he said. 'But what has been recovered up to this point is indicative of an 18th-century time frame.' 'You'll never find a sign saying 'Cook was here,' seconded Hosty. 'We've got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being HMB Endeavour.' He added, 'And so far we found lots of things that tick the box for it to be Endeavour and nothing on the site which says it's not.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Artificial reef aims to bring wild oysters back
Wild Oysters are set to be introduced into Conwy Bay after an almost two-year delay was brought to an end by a succession of storms. Bangor University have been given permission to proceed to the final stage of the project and "reseed" a 660-tonne artificial reef. Harbourmaster Matthew Forbes said the project would "finally move towards completion" with the first distribution run set to take place on Friday. Wild oysters, once a major part of Wales's fishing industry, have been in decline as a result of over-fishing, changes in water quality, and disease. It was first reported in July 2023 that Bangor University was working with the Zoological Society of London to reintroduce wild oysters into the waters. Conwy Council's Harbour Advisory Committee met this week for an update on the project. Speaking at the meeting, harbourmaster Matthew Forbes said the reef was initially "above the marine licensed permitted height". "Over the last couple of years, storms have knocked the reef height down," he added. Mr Forbes said Natural Resources Wales had agreed the project could now move forward and 76 bags of oysters were ready to be distributed. Meeting chairwoman Joan Vaughan said it would be "lovely" to have oysters in the River Conwy. Native oysters used to be found around Conwy in large numbers but have virtually disappeared in recent years. Oyster beds were a common sight in the Menai Strait and around Anglesey. The Wild Oysters Project website said they were a "vital food source" for coastal communities and "contributed" to the Welsh economy. The Mumbles or 'Oystermouth' fishery was the largest in Wales supporting 400 fishers across 188 boats. In the mid-1800s Welsh oyster boats reported landing 8,000 oysters daily, but up to 15,000 to 20,000 oysters in some areas. The efforts to reintroduce the shellfish in Wales follow a pattern of declining numbers in other parts of the UK. A wildlife project on the East Yorkshire coast is testing a new breeding technique to reintroduce 500,000 native European flat oysters over the next five years. It was also mooted that oysters could return to the Thames as part of an effort to clean London's rivers last year. Mass oyster release aims to stop species dying out New breeding technique aims to bring back oysters Baby oysters move from maternity ward to nursery
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Exploring Changzhou's Life Aesthetics Along Grand Canal
CHANGZHOU, China, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 10, the event "An Encounter with Chinese Culture: Jiangsu Week of the Grand Canal Culture" was held in Brussels, home to the headquarters of the European Union. With the Grand Canal as a symbolic link, the event built a bridge for cultural exchange between civilizations. Changzhou, an ancient Jiangnan city flourishing along the canal, transformed its cuisine into a vibrant feast, showcasing the elegance and wisdom of Eastern aesthetics to captivate European audiences. A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available in this link. The Jiangnan culinary tradition is a vibrant cultural tapestry and aesthetic expression woven into the life along the Grand Canal's banks. Radishes were intricately carved by artisans into soaring dragons and phoenixes; dough-sculpting masters shaped vivid figures from Chinese mythology; and traditional sugar-blowing crafts transformed sweetness into auspicious symbols. A humble bowl of stir-fried rice with dried radish, brimming with rustic charm, emerged as the event's star dish. The "Four Seasons Lion's Head" dish, artfully paired with seasonal ingredients, reflected a philosophy of living in harmony with nature. "Every dish is a masterpiece nurtured by the waters of the canal and a legacy of craftsmanship," said Liu Yuchun, Chinese Culinary Master and Executive Dean of the Jiangnan Culinary Research Institute. The Grand Canal carries not only culinary treasures but also the profound wisdom of Eastern living. Zhu Jun, the fifth-generation inheritor of the Lanling Cheng-style Tui Na (traditional Chinese therapeutic massage), showcased two renowned techniques: the "Expanding Finger Kneading Method" and the "Soaring Dragon Tail Swinging Method," both regarded by scholars as medical legacies of canal culture. At the event, Zhu Jun's hands brought this ancient canal-nurtured wisdom to life, showcasing the healing power of traditional Chinese medicine. Notably, as early as 2023, Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital signed a cooperation agreement with Belgium's Guoyitang Clinic to establish the Menghe School TCM Center. This cross-cultural encounter across mountains and seas not only added a new chapter to the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations but also propelled the ancient civilization of the Grand Canal toward a broader future -- allowing its millennia-old way of life to continue flowing with vitality. Source: An Encounter with Chinese Culture: Jiangsu Week of the Grand Canal Culture CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Ling, Tel: 86-10-63074558
