Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2026 [Draft]
I thank John Mason for bringing this debate to the chamber.
I have been saddled with many titles over the years, some complimentary and some less so, and the knighthood and the trip to Holyrood or Buckingham palace are still somewhere in the pipeline. However, one title that I am genuinely proud of, particularly given my strong links to Stranraer, is that I am the nature champion for the native oyster bed. I value the role enormously, not least because I am one of the few nature champions who can sustainably eat what my habitat produces because my constituency is home to one of the most important native oyster beds anywhere in Europe. Beneath the waters of Loch Ryan lies Scotland’s last wild commercially harvested native oyster bed, a site of exceptional ecological and national significance.
Native oysters are remarkable ecosystem engineers. Each oyster can filter around 200 litres of water per day, improving water quality and supporting the health of the marine environment. They also act as an important blue carbon store, with studies showing that oyster habitats can hold up to 17.9 tonnes of carbon per hectare, per year.
Despite dramatic declines elsewhere across Europe, caused by overfishing, habitat loss and disease, the Loch Ryan oyster bed has thrived thanks to generations of sustainable stewardship. Its disease-free and genetically strong population makes Loch Ryan a vital source of stock for restoration projects across Scotland and a true jewel in my constituency.
That work is increasingly being supported by wider environmental initiatives, including the Solway Coast and Marine Project, which brings together scientists, local communities, the fishing industry and conservation partners to restore and protect the habitats that underpin coastal health. Oyster recovery is central to that work, but so too is restoring and protecting David Torrance’s seagrass meadows, which sit alongside many of our oyster beds. Seagrass, as we have heard, is one of the most effective natural carbon sinks in the UK and provides crucial nursery habitats for fish and invertebrates. Healthier oyster beds improve water clarity, allowing more sunlight to reach the seabed which, in turn, enables seagrass to grow and thrive. Torrance and Carson might seem like an unlikely team, but oyster beds and seagrass act powerfully together as nature’s tools for improving biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience.
One major example of what that kind of restoration can achieve is the historic return of native oysters to the Firth of Forth after more than a century. The project will see 30,000 oysters reintroduced, creating a new reef that will support marine life and improve water quality. As the Scottish Parliament’s nature champion for oyster beds, I wish that initiative every success and hope that it will mirror the remarkable achievements of Loch Ryan, one of the country’s largest and healthiest native oyster beds.
No celebration of those achievements would be complete without mentioning the Stranraer oyster festival, which will run from 11 to 13 September and draws around 30,000 visitors each year. It is a vibrant showcase of our marine ecology, heritage and, of course, outstanding food. I know that the cabinet secretary, having visited on at least one occasion, will agree that the wonderfully welcoming folk of Stranraer will ensure that visitors have the time of their lives there.