AN INNOVATIVE seafood farm, growing seaweed and oysters under the waves around the St Davids Peninsula is offering the public a chance to invest in its community benefit society

After three years of preparation Câr-Y-Môr set up two trial restoration ocean farms, the first of their kind in Wales, in Ramsey Sound in August this year.

The farms consist of 300m of seaweed lines and 90,000 juvenile native oysters and there are plans to expand the business into growing mussels next year.

Also on the cards for next year is the purchase of Solva Seafoods and a plan to establish a seafood market in St Davids in the spring.

The trial farms are paving the way for a three hectare restorative ocean farm being set up, this will be a template for others to duplicate in Welsh seas with the company aiming to establish 50 farms, around the Welsh Coast in the next five years.

3D ocean farming is seen as one of the answers to food shortages and climate change as well as generating local jobs and improving the nation's diet.

"This polyculture vertical farming system grows a mix of seaweeds and shellfish that require zero inputs - making it the most sustainable form of food production on the planet," said Câr-Y-Môr's Owen Haines.

The farms sit below the surface of the sea and produce high yields with a small footprint. No fertilizer, fresh water, feed or land is required.

The farms help to restore ocean ecosystems. Their crops also help capture and store carbon dioxide, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere and slowing down climate change.

The trial sites will be monitored to record carbon capture, growth rates and marine environmental data by researchers from Swansea and Bangor Universities, in order to demonstrate the positive effects of this farming so that larger farms can be started.

The seaweed crop will be used as food, fertilizer, animal fee, in bio plastics and more.

The project to date has been funded by £100,000 from the members.

However, due to pressures from Covid and Brexit the CBS has not been able to access grants and so is hoping to raise an additional £150,000 through a pioneer share offer that was launched in the first week of December. Without these funds it is unlikely that it will be able to continue beyond March 1

"Câr-Y-Môr's vision is to create jobs producing sustainable and local seafood while simultaneously improving the coastal environment and people's diets and wellbeing," said Owen.

"Within the first few days we have raised £9000 and have several commitments for further share purchases. Additionally we have had a number of new smaller donations through our website.

"We are humbled by the generosity, kindness and interest of a growing number of diverse people."

To find out more about the project and the share offer, visit carymor.wales.