FAQs

  • Câr-Y-Môr is a community benefit society operating a Regenerative Ocean Farm, growing seaweed and shellfish. We have two main aims:

    1. To improve the coastal environment through regenerative ocean farming, and;

    2. To improve the wellbeing of the local community through job creation, supply of fresh local seafood, and environmental restoration.

  • A community benefit society (CBS) conducts business for the benefit of the wider community. Profits are not distributed among members, or external shareholders, but reinvested into the community benefit society to further achieve its aims. A community benefit society is the ultimate community business. It is owned equally by all its members and membership is open to all that support its aims.

  • Regenerative Ocean Farming is when two or more organisms are grown together. It mimics natural marine processes and maximises diversity. The aim is to leave the ocean better than we found it.

    By occupying the whole of the water column we are maximising our output of nutritious food whilst also maximising the positive environmental impact the farm creates. Example of positive impacts may include nursery habitat, coastal storm protection and water filtering just to name a few.

    What we refer to as regenerative ocean farming is also known by many other names such as: Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), polyculture or 3D ocean farming.

  • Scientific studies have shown that Regenerative Ocean Farming can have many benefits to the environment. Some of the benefits include increasing biodiversity, uptake of carbon, and uptake of nitrates and phosphates.

  • No - we only farm species native to the area. Our seaweed is grown from seeds taken from seaweed in the surrounding area, our oysters and scallops are native, and our mussels naturally settle on the mussel lines.

  • Anyone who supports the aims of the society is welcome to apply to be a member. Either complete the application form on the website. The membership fee is £1 making membership available to all.

  • At present we have a Pioneer Share Offer open allowing all to apply to invest in Câr-Y-Môr by following the process on our website carymor.wales/invest/. For more detail on the specifics on investing, please contact Alex on trevyr1@btinternet.com, or for details about Câr-Y-Môr in general, please contact us at admin@carymor.wales. Alternatively you can donate through the donation page on the website - or support the Society's work by buying our products either from the website or visiting us in St Davids.

  • Câr-Y-Môr is based at Clegyr Uchaf, St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Just put Car-y-mor into Google Maps!

    Our two trial farms are located just off the coast near St Davids, at Porthlysgi and Carnarwig. Our new 3 hectare ocean farm site is located south of St Justinians in the Ramsey sound.

  • You can buy all our products through the website shop, by email to sales@carymor.wales or call 07773 846560.

  • No, Câr-Y-Môr purchased Solva Seafoods in January 2021 from Jonno and Sandy who are supporters of the Society. The aim of the purchase is to create immediate jobs in the local community, support local fishermen, and start selling our seaweed and shellfish grown on the farms.

  • To date three full time and eight part time roles have been created.

    We also have a big team of volunteers, with over 20 regular volunteers bringing unique skills, enthusiasm and commitment.

  • We take preventative action to reduce our impact on the ocean as far as possible. Firstly, as much of the equipment as possible is reclaimed. For example, our mussel lines are from 360 Aquaculture, a mussel farm in Swansea Docks; and all the floats are secondhand. Secondly all our gear is in one place, moored and constantly monitored and serviced. We are lucky to have a team members who dive to provide regular underwater inspections. Any worn out equipment is replaced promptly.

  • The majority of the farm is below the surface of the water, with just small buoys being on the surface of the water. The new farm has smaller buoys than those on the trial farms, which were gifted to us.

  • Marine entanglements are unknown in this type of farming to date but still possible. To combat this we have remote monitoring equipment on site and employees and volunteers who are trained to always check the sites at every visit for any potential entanglement issues. If any entanglement of mammals or birds does ever occur we will report it and investigate the cause and make remedial changes.

  • All our polyboxes are reused from a local business. We use recycled newspaper to package them and also potato starch bags to try to eliminate plastic where we can.

  • Plastic is used as alternatives are not yet up to the standard needed for this type of aquaculture. They do not last as long, break down easier and are overall more costly. They generally create a large carbon footprint as the majority are produced in China, shipping them to the UK adds to GHG’s where as lots of the rope we use is made in Europe. Also seaweeds need specific qualities to grow on, and research has shown that trying to grow seaweeds on plastic alternatives has lower yields than traditional plastic ropes.