But oysters are also increasingly being called upon for reasons other than oyster and pearl farming. Earlier this month, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O\u2019Sullivan<\/a> announced \u20ac7.9 million in funding over five years for the Tralee Bay Marine Biodiversity Restoration project, in which oysters will play a key role.<\/p>\n Ireland has a long history of oyster farming, with archaeological findings showing how coastal communities from the late Mesolithic period picked and ate oysters. Cultivation of oysters dates back to the 13th century, according to a report by the Centre for Environmental Humanities at Trinity College Dublin<\/a>. Artificial oyster beds in Clontarf, Howth and Sutton in the 18th century were replenished by naturally occurring beds in counties Wexford, Wicklow and Down. Overharvesting, pollution and harsh winters all contributed to their decline. <\/p>\n But commercial oyster farming of Pacific oysters (easier and faster to cultivate and available all year round) began again in the 1980s and 1990s and there are now about 130 oyster farms around the Irish coast, many of which export these larger oysters to the European mainland. <\/p>\n But it is the native Irish oyster (smaller and round compared to the oval-shaped Pacific oyster), which spawns in the summer months, that will now play a big part in a nature-based solution to help clean water, increase the growth of sea grass and provide shelter and spawning grounds for fish species along our coastline.<\/p>\n Scientists have high hopes for the Tralee Bay Marine Biodiversity Restoration project, for which work is due to start in the Tralee Bay Nature Reserve this month.<\/p>\n The initiative represents a \u201cunique opportunity to restore two of Ireland\u2019s most important marine habitats: native oyster reefs and eelgrass meadows, within one of the country\u2019s most ecologically significant coastal systems\u201d, says Prof Sarah Culloty, a marine biologist and professor at University College Cork<\/a>.<\/p>\n The living laboratory will bring together researchers, fishermen, conservation agencies and local communities to restore the marine habitat for the benefit of biodiversity<\/a>, water quality, climate resilience<\/a> and coastal livelihoods.<\/p>\n
![\"Floating](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/EDTVIJGUYNAZHADIVLI4FH6AAQ.jpg\")
Floating oyster baskets installed by the Green Ocean Foundation <\/p>\n