Oyster cultivation

There were 26 licences to farm oysters in Trawbreaga Bay, in north Inishowen, Co Donegal Ireland in 2001. These are Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas), much larger than the native oyster (Ostrea edulis) and their production in Ireland has increased from just 60 tonnes in 1980 to 4,000 tonnes in 1996. (See details on their production with the next photograph) Trawbreaga is a sheltered sea bay with a number of small large rivers entering it. While the sandy mud supports relatively small numbers of birds, there is an Internationally Important population of Barnacle guess in addition to Brent geese, widgeon, mallard, oystercatcher and redshank. It is a Ramsar site.