A report published this month by GFS network member, Dr David Willer, Henslow Research Fellow, Department of Zoology, in the journal Sustainable Agriculture, sets out how ‘naked clams’ could be farmed to create a new sector in sustainable nutritious food production.
‘Naked Clams’ live in and feed on wood, turning it into protein and essential nutrients. Previously known as shipworms, sailors considered them pests, due to the damage they can do to wooden ships, docks and piers.
Dr Willer said, “Naked Clams taste like oysters, they’re highly nutritious and they can be produced with a really low impact on the environment. Naked Clam aquaculture has never been attempted before. We’re growing them using wood that would otherwise go to landfill or be recycled, to produce food that’s high in protein and essential nutrients like Vitamin B12.”
The research is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Plymouth, and has attracted funding from sources including The Fishmongers’ Company, British Ecological Society, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Seale-Hayne Trust, and BBSRC.
Read more about the report here.
Listen to Dr Willer talk about naked clams on BBC Farming Today.