Alive, Alive O, or Gone Forever?

An Introduction to the History of Irish Shellfish

Nol P. Wilkins, National University of Ireland, Galway.

8 & 9 Victoria, Cap.8. (8 August 1845) Sect XVI Nothing in the Act... shall be construed to protect, as an exclusive right or private property, any oyster bed or oyster fishery lying below the level of the lowest water of Spring tides... unless such oyster bed or fishery shall be possessed by virtue of charter, grant, patent etc...

8 & 9 Victoria, Cap. 108 (8 August 1845)

13 and 14 Victoria, Cap.88 (18th August 1850) Sect XLI: Be it enacted that it shall and may be lawful for any person ...to form or plant any oyster bed or laying...either above or below the level of the lowest water marks of Spring tides, as the said Commissioners shall think fit...

47 & 48 victoria, Cap.88., 7 August 1884 Sect. 2 The Inspectors of Irish Fisheries may make orders for the establishment or improvement...of an oyster fishery on the shore and bed of the sea, or of an estuary or tidal river above or below or partly above and partly below low water mark...

SIZES OF LICENSED BEDS. Up to year 1853 1854 1859 1860 - 1864 1865 1885 9 licences 9 licences 29 licences > 100 licences max. size 165 acres. max. size 348 acres. max size1770 acres. max size 810 acres

Aggregate of first 100 licences: 17,000 acres.

Number of Lobsters landed in Ireland, 1889 to 1900 Year 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 All Ireland
N X 1,000 Value

West Coast
N x 1,000 Value

415 238 212 222 248 231 276 292 259 307 311 286

10,600 7,400 7,200 7,600 7,200 7,100 8,100 8,500 7,500 8,100 8,900 8,300

203 81 58 54 59 43 41 69 53 72 54 45

4,200 2,100 1,800 1,600 1,600 1,200 1,100 1,300 1,400 1,800 1,300 1,300

Query: Do we, as shellfish cultivators, have any duty or imperative to attempt to restore natural stocks of oysters?

Query: Have we carried out a suitable hydrographical study of the area being restored before we commence restoration?

HIGH DENSITY High chance of fertilization.

LOW DENSITY Fertilization less certain and depends greatly on sperm survival and capacity

Query: Are we stocking a sufficiently large number of broodstock, over a sufficiently long period of years, to have any chance of making a positive contribution to an impoverished local stock?