The Solent once hosted Europe’s largest native oyster fishery, but overfishing, pollution, disease, and habitat loss caused a 95% decline, leading to the fishery’s collapse in 2013. Native oysters, vital for water filtration, habitat creation, and coastal protection, are now a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority. The Solent Oyster Restoration Project, led by Blue Marine, is reviving oyster populations through nurseries, reef creation, hatchery breeding, and community outreach. Since 2015, nearly 100,000 oysters have been restored. Key partners include universities, government agencies, and local groups. In 2021, the first restored oyster reef was established in Langstone Harbour.
The Four Horsemen of the UK Fisheries Policy Apocalypse
The UK has the responsibility, and the policy frameworks available, to provide meaningful and lasting protection to all its marine areas. This includes the government proceeding with and concluding its plans to remove bottom trawling from MPAs, safeguarding the biodiversity and habitats that they were designed to protect.
28 September 2025
