A David and Goliath contest is taking place in the seas off of the Cornwall coastline – and David may be winning.
For many people who head to Cornwall holiday cottages, the fresh local seafood could be a major attraction.
However, Cornish oysters are now under threat from an unlikely-seeming invader.
The tingle, a tiny whelk that bores into the oysters and then eats them from the inside, is causing a catastrophic decline in populations.
With some oyster beds at an all-time low, the time to head to Cornwall holiday cottages could be now, before the tingle removes one of the region”s delicacies from the menus completely.
Oysters are not the only thing under threat in Cornwall, as trees in the region are also facing attack from a fungus.
First seen in the US six years ago, the Times reports that the Phytophthora ramorum fungus has previously killed trees in the US.
Posted by Toby Lawrence
