World Sustainability Organisation certifies Dibba Bay Oysters as a Friend of the Sea

Recently, the Dibba Bay Oysters farm in Fujairah received Friend of the Sea Sustainable Aquaculture certification through a programme run by the Italian-based World Sustainability Organisation. This was accomplished by demonstrating that the farm's aquaculture facilities adhere to rigorous sustainable policies and waste management regulations. The oyster, as a key player in the UAE's traditional economy and culture for generations, is inextricably linked to the country's rich history and heritage.

Dibba Bay Oysters farm in Fujairah recently secured Friend of the Sea Sustainable Aquaculture certification through a program run by the Italian-based World Sustainability Organisation, after its aquaculture facilities were found to meet strict sustainable policies and waste management regulations. As a source of pearls, the oyster has for centuries been closely entwined with the history and traditional culture of the UAE. Paolo Bray, founder, and director of the Friend of the Sea programme, said that oyster farms often improve biodiversity because they increase the surface area of habitat as much as 50-fold. He said this leads to greater numbers of sea creatures such as barnacles, anemones and hooked mussels, some of which provide food for predators. “These oyster reefs are used as spawning areas,” Mr Bray said. “Farming bivalves is very often a low-impact way of producing animal protein compared to the farming of fish in general.”

Oysters filter the water and can sequester carbon, so have a positive impact in terms of carbon emissions, Bray stated.

Oysters don't require any special care or attention, and although they do leave behind some solid waste, it poses little threat to the water environment. The accumulation of nutrients from fish feed and waste, which can lead to algal blooms that deprive waters of oxygen, has been connected to environmental damage, and aquaculture, especially when it involves rearing fish, has occasionally been blamed for this.

“[Consumers] should have less concern as far as oyster welfare during the farming phase and transport phase compared with fish species.” Bray said. Environmental certification schemes for seafood can have a significant impact, Bray indicated, citing a dolphin-safe tuna program he has previously been involved with, which he said reduced the accidental catching of dolphins by more than 90 percent in one area.

More than 1,500 businesses in more than 80 countries have earned the Friend of the Sea seal of approval, and this accreditation can help farmers in a variety of ways. Oyster farms in Australia, Italy, Monaco, and the United Kingdom are also certified.

Murray said, however, that the farm’s biggest positive environmental impact was that it supplied the UAE market with oysters that would otherwise be flown in. The farm has approximately 35 percent share of the oyster market in the Emirates. It is the only oyster farm of its kind in the Middle East and cultivates Pacific oysters, which are originally from Japan.