Coastal restoration led by zoos wins big in Parliament

Coastal restoration led by zoos wins big in Parliament - BIAZA

ZSL’s oyster restoration project beat 21 other native species projects to win BIAZA’s Great British Wildlife Restoration Award
The competition saw over 60 parliamentarians vote for native species projects, from bison reintroductions to seagrass restoration, all led by British Zoos and Aquariums
The winner was feted by politicians at a special parliamentary reception hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, featuring speeches by Environment Minister Rebecca Pow MP and Shadow Environment Minister Steve Reed MP

Members of Parliament and the House of Lords have voted for a coastal restoration project, led by the Zoological Society of London, in a special native species competition organised by BIAZA (the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums).

At the event yesterday (16 January), BIAZA brought together scores of people at Speakers House including thirty MPs, Lords, and those representing Zoos, Aquariums and conservation organisations to celebrate the conservationists protecting our native wildlife.

The winning project, the Wild Oysters project, is a partnership between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Blue Marine Foundation, British Marine and others to reintroduce over ten thousand native oysters to specially designed reefs in the North East of England.

Celine Gamble, ZSL’s Wild Oysters Project Manager said: “The Wild Oysters Project are determined to bring native oysters back from the brink of extinction. Despite their small size, oysters can make such a big impact within the marine coastal environment, their return will help contribute towards helping to improve our coastal water quality and provide an essential habitat for other marine species. It’s fantastic to be recognised by members of Parliament and the House of Lords, and to be celebrated for the work ZSL are doing to protect and restore the UK’s native wildlife.”

Native oyster reefs have been disappearing from British waters declining by over 95% since the 1800s. This significant decline is as a result of a combination of habitat loss, over-harvesting, pollution and disease. 