UK oyster production: nature's harvest

It is hard to imagine who first took the brave step of tasting a raw oyster, but their shells have been found alongside Neanderthal remains. Native oysters have been eaten since at least Roman times. Prized for their plump flesh, native oysters' recent peak was enjoyed at the start of the 20th century when production reached 30,000 tonnes a year, according to the Shellfish Association of Great Britain . At the time, oysters were a popular food and many coastal towns around the south-east built their economies on the shellfish's popularity. But stocks then fell as oysters faced a number of challenges: over-fishing, parasites, invasive creatures such as the American oyster drill, slipper limpets whose faeces smother oyster beds and toxic paint on boat hulls. Production is now 650 tonnes a year and falling, despite rising demand. Pacific oysters harvested in the UK are hardier and have been more able to match the growing appetite, with production at around 1,200 tonnes a year and steady throughout the recession. The Shellfish Association puts rising demand down to changing tastes, a campaign to promote the health benefits of oysters – especially their omega 3 content – and recognition by watchdogs of their sustainable nature.