Native Oyster Project (purchase of oysters) delivery contract, Welsh Marine Treasures, Natur am Byth

Description

This invitation to tender covers a contract to supply native oysters, Ostrea edulis, to aid native oyster restoration within the Milford Haven waterway. This work will draw upon that delivered in the development phase of NaB! (Reference final report Annex 1.) and also on the work carried out by the Wales Native Oyster Project (Phase 1 & 2) and other work such as the Wild Oyster Project and the Native Oyster Restoration Handbook. As part of the native oyster restoration work, we are anticipating the possibility of deploying a mixture of more robust spawning animals (in the region of >60mm or 50-60g) and also some smaller juvenile oysters. The larger more mature oysters will have a greater survival rate and hopefully will be contributing to local populations immediately. The smaller oysters will enable us to get more oysters in the water within the budget available. By utilising different size/age ranges and also multiple deployments we hope to mitigate mortality risks associated with Ostrea edulis growing and restocking. We would like to see some mature oysters deployed in 2024 and 2025, with further deployment of oysters in 2026 and 2027 as information from monitoring of the restoration areas helps to inform the optimal locations for deployment. The size/weight and number of oysters should be clearly detailed within the tender. Deployment to restoration sites will be the responsibility of the ‘Monitoring and deployment’ contract and aided by the Pembrokeshire Regional Coordinator. Costs associated with the storage and transportation of oysters to the Milford Haven Waterway to fit with deployment logistics will need to be included within the tender. In addition to the native oysters needed for natural lay within identified restoration sites (above), a total of 500 mature oysters will be needed as broodstock for the caged sites (Milford Haven and Rudder’s boatyard) to be supplied in Spring 2024. Allowance for replacements in case of mortality should be identified and incorporated. These oysters, as well as boosting local populations through natural spawning, will be used for engagement and educational activities.