Purina Europe is working with expert organizations to help restore 1,500 hectares of marine habitat by 2030, the equivalent of approximately 3,700 football fields. Marine habitats provide habitat for many species, including fish. Fish is part of Purina’s supply chain because it uses fish by-products that are not consumed by humans but provide valuable ingredients in pet food so nothing is wasted.
The pet care brand is investing in marine restoration solutions from partners across Europe to create effective and scalable solutions. Each partner targets species that are important but are being depleted in restoring local marine habitats. The first phase of the program will last three years and prioritizes the research and development, measurement framework, and conditions needed to efficiently and effectively scale restoration solutions. The second phase is scheduled to begin in 2026 and will focus on scaling up proven solutions.
The Seagrass Consortium, represented by one of its founding partners, the Sea Ranger Service, is planting seagrass meadows, a key habitat-forming species, and building solutions to support biodiversity and capture carbon. Oyster Heaven is using natural materials to restore lost oyster reefs. Oysters create biodiversity, provide habitat for a variety of species and, as natural water filters, help improve water quality by removing contaminants, including excess nitrogen. Good water quality allows more sunlight to reach the seagrass meadows, allowing the seagrass to thrive.
Urchinomics is removing excess sea urchins that have overgrazed seagrass (or kelp in this area) beds because their natural predators have been greatly reduced. Removing them will help the kelp bounce back. Seaweeds provide habitat, food and energy for many marine species while acting as natural water purifiers, absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon. SeaForester is using technologies such as mobile seaweed nurseries to restore rapidly disappearing seaweed forests.
“We are excited to launch Purina Europe’s first ocean restoration program. The rapid decline in marine biodiversity requires collective restoration efforts. At Purina, we are committed to helping address marine biodiversity loss across our extended supply chain. Together with our partners, we are therefore playing an active role in the large-scale restoration of marine habitats in Europe,” says Kerstin Schmeiduch, Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Purina Europe.
“The structure of this program allows a group of expert partners working to restore important species across Europe to scale solutions and share knowledge and expertise. This gives you the best opportunity to collaborate effectively and measure and replicate success. Going forward, this program can help create education, employment and business opportunities for the community,” says Harry Wright, CEO of Bright Tide.
Restoration efforts will take place in France (Arcachon Bay), the Netherlands (including Zeeland), Norway (Tromsø) and Portugal (Cascais & Peniche), with additional sites in Germany and the United Kingdom being evaluated.
The ocean restoration program is part of Purina Europe’s broader efforts to promote the regeneration of marine and soil ecosystems.
