Purina backs major oyster reef restoration off Norfolk coast

Petcare firm Purina has announced support for what is expected to be the UK’s largest oyster reef restoration project, in partnership with marine conservation group Oyster Heaven.

The initiative will see new reefs established off the North Norfolk coast, with a target of embedding at least four million oysters by the end of 2026. The reefs are intended to improve water quality and provide habitats for a wide range of marine species.

Native European oysters, once common along the UK coastline, have declined sharply over the past century. Oyster reefs act as natural water filters and enhance biodiversity, but their disappearance has contributed to the loss of ecosystem functions.

The project will use specially designed clay structures, known as Mother Reefs, to house juvenile oysters.

Around 40,000 are expected to be deployed by 2026, each preloaded with oyster spat in controlled conditions before being placed on the seafloor by local aquaculture business Norfolk Seaweed.

Kerstin Schmeiduch, director of sustainability at Purina Europe, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Oyster Heaven, marking an important step towards improving marine restoration along the Norfolk coastline and a first for Purina in the UK.”

Oyster Heaven founder George Birch said the success of the restoration depended on scale: “Building an oyster reef is all about large numbers to create population tipping points and provide a suitable habitat.”

The Norfolk site joins another reef project already underway in Veerse Meer, Netherlands, as part of a wider programme supported by Purina to restore 1,500 hectares of marine habitat across Europe by 2030.