Our History
....
Native oysters have been fished
commercially off Whitstable, Kent in SE England since Roman times.
Whitstable Bay is part of the Swale estuary, a shallow area with
good tidal interaction between land and sea giving ideal conditions
for good algal production and shellfish growth.
Seasalter Shellfish (Whitstable)
Ltd owns two square miles of seabed off Whitstable known as the
Pollard Ground. They also have a Crown fishery of similar size
off the Isle of Sheppy. The grounds have been managed by "Seasaiter"
and it's predecessors since 1853 when it was purchased from the
Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral.
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Native oysters have been fished commercially off Whitstable, Kent in SE England since Roman times. Whitstable Bay is part of the Swale estuary, a shallow area with good tidal interaction between land and sea giving ideal conditions for good algal production and shellfish growth. Seasalter Shellfish (Whitstable) Ltd owns two square miles of seabed off Whitstable known as the Pollard Ground. They also have a Crown fishery of similar size off the Isle of Sheppy. The grounds have been managed by "Seasaiter" and it's predecessors since 1853 when it was purchased from the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral. |
Traditionally
the ground had provided fish for the Monastery larder since before
Magna Carta in 1066. At the turn of the last century more than
100 boats and over 500 people were employed in harvesting and
selling Whitstable Oysters.
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Traditionally the ground had provided fish for the Monastery larder since before Magna Carta in 1066. At the turn of the last century more than 100 boats and over 500 people were employed in harvesting and selling Whitstable Oysters. |
In later years, however, oysters
stocks and markets declined throughout the UK due to disease,
bad winters, pollution from a nearby paper mill and over fishing.
After World War Two, the industry as a whole became practically
non existent.
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In later years, however, oysters stocks and markets declined throughout the UK due to disease, bad winters, pollution from a nearby paper mill and over fishing. After World War Two, the industry as a whole became practically non existent. |