Blue mussel
Europe, inland waters. Atlanic Ocean, north-east (FAO 5 | FAO 27)
Dredges, Bottom culture, Hangculture
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Dutch blue mussels are MSC-certifiedMSC Certified:
Fisheries that comply with the Marine Stewardship Council assessment criteria and are certified. Fish products with the blue MSC label are caught by sustainable fisheries., like most of the mussels cultured in Europe. All Dutch mussels are watered in the Eastern Scheldt after which they are labeled Zeeuwse mosselen. Watering of mussels is done to remove sandy particles from inside the shells. Since 2016, MSC-certified mossels from other countries can be watered in the Netherlands and thereafter be sold as Dutch MSC-certified mussels.
Culturing mussels requires mossel seedMussel seed:
Mussel larvae. to be taken out of the wild. After this, they are cultured to consumption size mussels at sea or in estuaria. Mussels take up algea from the water so additional feeding is not needed.
Fishing for mussel seed is done by draggingDragging:
A fishing method for catching mussels, oysters and scallops, using steel frames to which a net is attached. On the front of this frame are often steel points that act like a kind of rake. or, in the Netherlands, ‘mussel seed capture systems’ (MZIMZI:
Mussel seed capture system, or 'mosselzaadvanginstallatie' in Dutch (MZI), is a specialized system used to caputre mussel seed from the watercolumn. The systems use ropes hanging in the water colum on which mussels seed attach. The ropes are attached to an anker below and floating devices above.s). Culturing the mussel seed to consumption sized mussels is done using bottom cultivationBottom cultivation:
The cultivation of shellfish on shallow banks in the sea. Bottom cultivation is used to grow mussels and oysters. Due to the natural food supply in the sea, the seed of the shellfish develops into shellfish suitable for consumption., hangingHanging cultivation:
Culturing schellfish on poles and/or wire nets that are hanging in the water column. Using feed from the sea water, mussels and other shellfish grow up to consumption size. cultivation or using bouchotsBouchots:
Masts on which mussels are grown. Around the masts are ropes or bags wrapped with mussel seed. . Most Dutch mussels are cultured in the Eastern Scheldt and Grevelingenmeer.
Boat dredgesBoat dredges:
A fishing method used for collecting shellfish and crustaceans from the bottom. The ship drags a steel frame with a net over the bottom, in which shellfish and crustaceans are caught. Large ships can drag multiple dredges simultaneously, on each side of the ship. that are used to fish mussels from the bottom culture plots are harmfull to the seabed on which also other organisms settle. Therefore, mussels cultured on hanging cultures are a more sustainable choice.
During the culturing process, mussels are moved between different areas. Moving mussels between different areas can be risky in terms of disease and parasite spreading and the introduction of non-native species. This should be minimized as far as possible.
Fish in season
Fish is in season when the spawning period has ended, as the quality is then at its best.