Mayor of London announces bold plans to revive nature and wildlife in London’s waterways’

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today pledged to ‘turbo-charge’ restoring nature to London’s rivers and waterways. As part of his bold plans to clean up London’s rivers over the next 10 years, Sadiq will work with partners to bring species such as water voles, eels, otters, mayflies and others back to the capital.

Last year, the Mayor successfully reintroduced beavers to Ealing for the first time in 400 years, with the creatures restoring habitats, increasing the area’s protection from flooding and making it safe for other species. Sadiq is now pledging to spearhead a revival of nature in London’s waterways to bring back many more species and improve climate resilience.  

The Mayor visited New York Harbour today to see first-hand the return of oysters to the Hudson and how the city is embracing nature to clean up the river. The Mayor toured the Billion Oyster Project, which was started in 2014 with the aim of restoring one billion oysters to the New York Harbour by 2035 – with 50 million oysters added to the local waterways every year to help naturally filter the water and protect New York City from flood damage.  

The oyster reefs in New York provide a habitat for hundreds of species and reduce the risk of erosion. Sadiq hopes the return of species such as water voles, eels, otters and mayflies to London will have a similar effect in protecting London’s waterways and will explore and consider the role of oysters in the eastern part of London’s Thames.

Sadiq is already in discussions with partners in London about how to deliver a revival of nature in London’s waterways. This could include new nature interventions that build upon:

• Introducing saltmarsh plants around the Greenwich peninsula to create a shoreline of life and improve flood defences, along with new sandbanks.
• Enabling the return of dragonflies and restoring the chalk stream to the Wandle, alongside trout that once flourished there.  

The Mayor wants London to become a safer home to a vast array of river creatures, from eels making their journey from the Sargasso sea to otters being brought back from the brink of extinction in the Roding.

He will prioritise nature-based solutions, similar to those deployed in New York, and bring together companies, government agencies, charities and campaigners to get the capital’s rivers safe, clean and open to more people.  

The Mayor has already invested almost £30m since 2016 to help grow the city’s biodiversity and his manifesto pledge for a new Green Roots fund will see more money on projects that expand access to our vital waterways.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to visit the Billion Oyster Project and take inspiration from this nature-first project, which literally sees nature clean nature while increasing biodiversity in New York’s waterways.  

“In London, the Thames and its tributaries are the lifeblood of London, shaping communities, sustaining livelihoods and bringing people closer to nature. As Mayor, I want to turbo-charge the restoration of nature to London’s rivers and waterways, working with partners across the capital to spearhead the return of a whole host of species - from water voles, to eels, and the return of otters.

“We have done so much to clean up our air. Now we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore our capital’s waterways as we continue to see a return of dozens of species, like here in New York.  This will enable Londoners to connect with nature as we continue to build a greener London for everyone.”  

Pete Malinowski, Executive Director of Billion Oyster Project, says: “For ten years, we’ve worked closely with hundreds of New York City schools, restaurants, and communities throughout the five boroughs to build a better future for the city and its waterways. We are incredibly humbled and inspired to have the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visit our Brooklyn Bridge Park reef site to learn more about our approach to urban harbour restoration. We look forward to seeing more Londoners connect back to nature through waterway restoration efforts - and the restoration of the abundant natural biodiversity of the Thames." 

The Billion Oyster Project’s restoration efforts includes eighteen restoration sites along the Hudson River, from Coney Island Creek in Brooklyn to SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx.

Last week Sadiq visited the Thames Tideway ‘super sewer’ with Secretary of State Rt Hon Steve Reed MP and pledged, alongside the Zoological Society of London, London Wildlife Trust, Thames Water and other stakeholders, to deliver a natural revolution for London’s waterways. He has committed to draw up a plan to clean up the capital’s rivers in the next 10 years, harnessing the power of nature itself.