The Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA)
The Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA) is a European network whose aim is to enhance and restore the native European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis). Network members represent govt. employees, scientists NGOs, oyster growers, and other private groups. NORA was an outgrowth of a workshop on oyster restoration held in Berlin, Germany on Nov. 2017. That meeting was organized by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (or BfN), and the Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research (or AWI) and was attended by 65 experts from 10 European countries and the U.S.
Oyster bed (Ostrea edulis). Photo: K. Janke
Ostrea edulis European distribution ca. 1883
European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) Photo: A. Maywald (Okapia)
A document was also produced: Bernadette Pogoda, Janet Brown, Boze Hancock, Henning von Nordheim, Eds. The Berlin Oyster Recommendations on the Future of Native Oyster Restoration in Europe, Part I, Preface and Recommendations (see PDF or link). Al related flyer Hope for the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis): return of a former native species to the German North Sea was also generated (see PDF or link).
See also Jens Gercken and Andreas Schmidt, 2015. Current Status of the European Oyster (Ostrea edulis) and Possibilities for Restoration in the German North Sea, Bundesamt für Naturschutz, 88pp. (see PDF or link)
