Username: Password:   Mandate   Objectives   Environmental Policy   Oyster   Mussel   Finfish   R&D priorities   R&D Coordinator   R&D funding agencies   Species   Health & Nutrition   Benefits of Eating Finfish   Benefits of Eating Shellfish   Market Forms of Seafood   Grades of Oysters   Buying Fresh Seafood   Basic Cooking Methods   Recipes   Care & Storage of Seafood   Sources & References   The Cultured Mussel Growers Association and Cultured Mussel Industry in Prince Edward Island Our Background Mussel Picture Gallery Pictures courtesy of: Stephen Stewart; Matt Smith (PEIDAFA) Prince Edward Island's mussel culture industry has grown from a mere 88,000 pounds in 1980 to a staggering 37 million pounds in 2002. The industry had become a vital sector of the Island economy creating approximately 2500 direct and indirect jobs. PEI's aquaculturists are Canada's leading producers of cultured mussel. In fact, production from PEI leases account for in excess of 80% of the mussels produced in North America. The PEI mussel industry uses the longline system. Mussels are held in suspension in socks (mesh sleeves) tied to anchored or moored buoyed rope. Because they are suspended in the water, they have greater access to food, cleaner shells and are farther away from bottom dwelling predators. The result is a high quality mussel renowned for its superior flavour. The quality of PEI mussels is assured by the industry’s advanced technology and through the joint shellfish monitoring programs conducted by the provincial and federal governments. Growing conditions Mussels are grown in shallow bays and inlets on PEI ranging from estuaries on the east side of the Island to barrier beach lagoons on the north shore. Water temperatures range from –2°C in winter to 24°C or higher in the summer, while salinities range between 23 to 29 parts per thousand. Seed Collection A mussel farmer's production schedule usually begins with the setting out seed collectors in the spring of the year. Seed collectors are usually frayed pieces of rope or strips of plastic mesh. Collectors are attached to the main buoyed line (backline) 30-50 cm apart and weighed to keep them vertically suspended in the water. The collectors serve as a settlement surface for the billions of mussel larvae swimming in the water. Growers keep a close eye on their lines and must add extra floatation of the backlines as mussel seed grows to avoid mortality by predators or fall-off during storm events. Socking the mussels By the fall of the year the mussel seed will have grown to a size of 5 to 20 mm and socking season begins. The mussel seed are stripped from the collectors, de-clumped and graded into uniform size classes before being places into plastic mesh sleeves/tubes called socks. The socks containing the mussels are then hung from longlines and the longlines suspended below the surface for over-wintering. Shortly after the start of the fall socking season, migrating flocks of sea ducks stop in PEI en route to over-wintering grounds further south. Mussel growers must spend a lot of time protecting their crop from these hungry sea ducks. During the spring and summer of the year following the socking, the mussel farmer is busy adding floatation to the longlines as the crop grows and the mussel socks gain weight. Harvesting After 18-24 months the mussels reach a marketable size of 55-60 mm. At this point each longline will contain upwards of 2 tonnes of mussels. In winter, PEI bays and estuaries are covered in ice (upwards of 125 cm or 4 ft). As a result, all mussel longlines are sunk approximately 190 cm or 6 ft below the surface. Lines destined for harvest over the winter are marked with ice-poles. Specialized techniques are used to harvest mussels through the ice. Growers use chain saws and special blades to cut through the ice. A SCUBA diver ties a line from a winch over an A-frame to the longline and then releases the longline from its moorings. The line is hauled up through the ice by a portable winch. Mussels are cut from the backline and stored in insulated plastic boxes and protected from wind-chill. During the rest of the year, mussels are harvested in open water by boats equipped with a boom and a hydraulic winch. The backline is partially lifted out of the water and the socks are severed from the backline and hauled into the boat. To minimize losses, the boat may be equipped with an aluminium chute to guide the longline and socks onboard. Processing Once harvested, mussels are transported to the processing plant where they are stripped from the sock, de-clumped, washed, graded and have their beards (byssal threads used to attach to substrates) removed. The mussels are inspected and any broken or substandard shells are removed prior to being packed for shipping to markets all over North America. Currently there are eight provincially licensed and federally registered mussel processing plants on PEI. PEI has developed a reputation for high quality mussels based on the hard work of growers, processors, both levels of government and the private sector. This effort will ensure that PEI mussels remain a highly recognized product and a share in the market place.