Swedish oyster catcher - 23 April 2021

Lotta Klemming from Sweden catches wild oysters by hand for a living. She dives into the freezing waters 12 months a year. Lotta’s father and uncle passed on this special skill to her. There aren’t any other women oyster divers in Sweden.

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."

Previously, Lotta saw oyster diving as a male profession. She left Grebbestad for Gothenburg to work in fashion.

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."

However, Lotta felt homesick in Gothenburg so she returned to her hometown and took up oyster diving.

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."

As soon as she started diving Lotta knew this was the right profession for her. On the beach, she gets her oysters ready for market. Because the waters are so pure here, these oysters get a good price. However, Lotta’s attracted to their flavours rather than profit.

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."