Car-Y-Mor – Regenerative 3D ocean Farming

Câr-Y-Môr is a registered community benefit society, meaning it is equally owned and operated by it’s 105 members. Any profit that is made is reinvested back into the society to further enable it to achieve its goals of regenerating the marine environment and generating sustainable jobs for local people.

Câr-Y-Môr was formed to create a regenerative community Aquaculture project. We use a low technological system called Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), we are currently operating two trial farms in the Ramsey Sound, St. Davids. These farms consist of a line of black buoys and seaweed cultivation lines and large socks for shellfish suspended at different depths. We are growing various types of seaweed – Sugar kelp, Sea lettuce, Oar weed, as well as native oysters, clams and mussels and, have also applied for relevant marine licenses to enable us to create a commercially viable farm.   

Firstly, we are proud to be producing local climate friendly food. Our farming methods require zero input, that means no chemical inputs like fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, no veterinary medicines, no feed or fresh water requirement. It’s difficult to picture a natural source of nutrition with such a low resource footprint.

As well as producing great food for us, the farm acts as a nursery ground for marine invertebrates. In particular, the seaweed acts as shelter for schools of small fish, whilst both the shellfish are brilliant at filtering water and seaweeds at re-oxygenating water. Seaweeds, particularly Kelp, are incredibly fast growing, absorbing large amounts of CO2. The tips of the fronds break off naturally, feeding the local fauna and sequestering carbon as it sinks to the seafloor. 

Our two trial sites are located either side of a headland, exposing them to different weather and marine conditions. We have learnt a lot in terms of farming practices. We believe that the fantastic tidal flows in the Ramsey Sound make this a great location for ocean farming, but in time we hope to support other communities to set up similar farms along the welsh coast.

We are very fortunate to have enthusiastic members with such a range of skills and backgrounds. As a collective we have the ability to make a positive impact on both the marine environment and the lives of our local community. 

To find out more about us and to donate, please visit our website Carymor.wales 

To support us and other top quality Welsh seafood producers visit our online seafood shop at solvaseafoods.co.uk