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Oyster catching in Sweden - 23 April 2021
Lotta Klemming is one of only a handful of divers in Sweden who plunge into the icy waters in full scuba gear to hand pick oysters. What’s more, Lotta is Sweden’s only female professional oyster catcher, a family trade passed down by her father and his brother.
Lotta: "We are on the west coast of Sweden, very close to the Norwegian border. And we have wild oysters here so instead of farming oysters we actually pick them by hand through diving all year around."
But oyster diving wasn’t Lotta’s first choice of career – she initially swapped her hometown for the bright lights of Gothenburg.
Lotta: "Before I started oyster diving, I worked in the fashion industry for big chains in Sweden and I also travelled around the world. Maybe I didn’t see myself doing it because I connected it very much to a very manly job."
Despite this, gradually the call of the sea brought her home to the Grebbestad archipelago on Sweden’s west coast.
Lotta: "The first time I picked oysters, I felt very good at it and that gave me a very fulfilled feeling that I never had before."
After picking the oysters and bringing them ashore, Lotta takes the haul to a nearby beach to clean them and prepare them for sale. These special oysters, which can grow up to 11cm in diameter, sell for around 7 euros a piece. But it isn’t all about the money for Lotta.
Lotta: "What makes our oyster, the Swedish oyster so special is probably first of all because of the taste - they have a very intense taste. It’s not like a new beginner’s oyster and just because our ocean here is so clean, it's A-classified."
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