blue mussels aquaculture challenges explained
DESCRIPTION
Bivalve species like oysters, mussels, manila and hard shell clams can survive for extended periods out of water and can be traded for human consumption as live animals. The primary aim of capturing, holding and transporting live mussels is to deliver them to markets in the best possible condition. Mussels will be exposed to some level of stress during all or part of the trade chain. Stress can be defined as any factor (either external or internal) causing a physiological disturbance to the mussels. In the live mussel industry these factors include capture, de-clumping, fluctuating temperatures, sunlight and other bright lights, wind or drafts, handling and physical damage, poor water quality during holding, conditioning and purification. Mussels are generally able to recover from such stresses, however if any or a combination of those stresses are sufficiently intense, then poor quality (broken shells, gaping, unpleasant smell) or dead mussels will result.The MusselsAlive project aim is to keep mussels alive through the trade chain, by improving good practices and introducing new technology.TRANSCRIPT
Development of best practice and new technology for grading, handling, transportation, conditioning and storage of mussels for SMEs in the European mussel industry
MusselsAlive
Mussels can survive for extended periods out of water and are traded for human consumption as live animals
The increased production and the development of rapid ground and air transport have improved the supply of live product to markets worldwide
However, live marketing is a complex issue
Following harvest, cultured mussels are washed, declumped, and graded by size
After grading and if bacteria loads in the harvesting area are above the legislated level, mussels must also be either
depurated re-layed
Shellfish harvested from polluted areas can be placed in clean areas (areas free of microbiological contamination) to allow shellfish to cleanse or purge themselves
Relaying
Boost
Filtering Activity
Avoidrecontamination
Dep
ura
tion
re-watering process in clean water that promotes the purging of some bacteria from the mussels.
Clean water
Boost
Filtering Activity
Avoidrecontamination
Dep
ura
tion
re-watering process in clean water that promotes the purging of some bacteria from the mussels.
Clean water
...after being relayed or depurated mussels are once again declumped,
debyssed and then packed and transported
Transport out of water can take between 24 and 48 hours
Once out of water mussels gape and loose water
Gaping musselGaping mussel
So in every step of the live trade mussels face challenges that can lead to mortality
1
Grading & Handling
Physical damage
2Poor Water Quality
Holding & Conditioning
3
Transport
Air exposure4
Storage
Fluctuating temperatures
1
Grading & Handling
Physical damage
Poor Water Quality
Holding & Conditioning
2
Transport
Air exposure3
Fluctuating temperatures
Storage
4
critical pointIn this project we investigated every
For further information please visit our site at
http://www.musselsaliveproject.com/
This presentation was developed with the support of the European Commission through the Collaborative Research Project ''MusselsAlive : Development of best Practice and new technology for grading, handling, transportation, conditioning and storage of mussels for SMEs in the European mussel industry“
Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research http://www.aquaculturewales.comSwansea UniversitySingleton Park Swansea, SA2 8PP
by Sara Barrento