Langstone Harbour is home to the native or European flat oyster. Commercial oyster farming began in the Harbour around 1820, although the Romans also farmed oysters here too.
Oysters are much more than a tasty treat. They are ‘ecosystem engineers’, cementing together to form reefs which host more than 100 other species and forming the lifeblood of our marine environment
Adult oysters also filter between 140 and 240 litres of seawater each day, significantly improving water clarity and removing excess nutrients to improve water quality. Oysters also stabilise marine sediments and dramatically increase biodiversity, including important fish species.
The oyster industry thrived in the late 19th century and was a major part of the local economy. At this point, around half the population of Emsworth were earning their living from fishing, oyster dredging or the industries that supported the trade, such as boat building.
Did You Know?
By around 1900, three million oysters were being shipped out of Emsworth annually by water, road and rail.
The Terror, that still sails for leisure trips out of Emsworth, was built in 1880 and was used to collect the oyster catches from the local harbours.
In 1902, a typhoid outbreak severely impacted the local oyster industry in Langstone Harbour. Many diners fell ill after eating the local oysters at a banquet in Winchester. The contamination was traced to a new sewer in Emsworth Harbour and led to illnesses and fatalities, including the death of the Dean of Winchester.
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The 1902 event was known as the ‘great oyster scare’ and caused a dramatic decline in the oyster trade, which never recovered to previous levels.
Poor water quality, competition from invasive species, habitat loss, disease and overfishing caused a 95% decline in the oysters, leading to oyster fishery collapse in the Solent in the 1950s and then finally ceasing around 2013.
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Loss of the native European oysters in the harbour impacted not only the livelihoods of local fishermen, but it also lost the ecosystem services and natural water filtering benefits that a healthy oyster population provides.
Native oysters, vital for water filtration, habitat creation, and coastal protection, are now a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority. In 1997 work began to turn the remains of the old oyster beds into an artificial lagoon. The lagoon, which has a small island at the centre, has also become a breeding ground for birds, particularly Little Terns.
Native oyster restoration is now playing a central role in national marine restoration projects and Langstone Harbour is home to one of the UK’s first new oyster reefs.
The Solent Oyster Restoration Project, led by Blue Marine, is reviving oyster populations through nurseries, reef creation, hatchery breeding and community outreach.
Since 2015, nearly 100,000 oysters have been restored and 10,000 more will be added in marinas across the Solent, in partnership with Final Straw Foundation.
Did You Know?
The natural harbour at Langstone is known for its oyster restoration efforts, including a 1,000 square metre reef built in 2021 to enhance marine ecosystems. The reef is designed to attract marine life and improve biodiversity.
The reef in Langstone Harbour is the first of its kind in the Solent. Its success has attracted marine creatures like cuttlefish, catsharks and seahorses. The oyster restoration project is part of the Solent Seascape Project.
- Read more about the Solent Seascape Project – click here
- The Blue Marine Solent Oyster Restoration Project – click here
- Take a trip on the Terror – the only gaff rigged oyster boat – click here