Native Oyster Restoration

Since its establishment, Cuan Beo has identified that ecosystem services delivered by the native oyster fishery are intrinsically linked to the quality of life, environment, economy, and heritage around South-East Galway Bay. The value of the native oyster fishery in Galway Bay therefore extends beyond the value of provisioning services, and into regulatory, and indeed cultural services. The survival of the native oyster fishery is linked to the condition of the catchment and the water quality that is discharged into the coastal environment. With this importance of the native oyster fishery in mind, Cuan Beo, through collaboration with the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and the Clarinbridge Co-Op, have been actively restoring native oyster beds and reefs in Inner Galway Bay since 2017, thus far increasing the native oyster population by an estimated 20 million.