Marine / ‘Game changing’ mussel farming growth project set to get underway next year
A PROJECT which is “set to transform shellfish aquaculture” is expected to get fully underway next year.
Shell-volution is an ambitious industry-wide initiative supported by the public sector and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) which has been awarded £4.4 million of investment from the UK Government as part of the £100m Islands Growth Deal.
The nine-year project is expected to bring “sustainable growth and additional quality jobs in mussel farming”.
This is based on detailed investigations (mapping and monitoring) and creating a model for improving security and reliability of wild spat recruitment, through industry best practice.
With planning now underway, the Shell-volution project will have an early focus on the recruitment of two key project posts, establishing a project board, and developing an initial research and development plan.
Full-scale implementation is set to begin in 2025.
Shetland is the region in Scotland with the highest mussel production. Nearly 8,700 tonnes were produced locally in 2023, which is more than 80 per cent of Scotland’s total.
Spearheading the development and case for the Shell-volution project together with Shetland-based partners in industry, academia and the public sector has been Michael Tait from the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group.
He said: “Mussel farming is recognised as one of the most sustainable forms of aquaculture due to its low environmental impact, contributing positively to local ecosystems and offering a low-carbon, nutritious food source for consumers.
“This project will help to overcome some of the challenges that the industry faces in terms of growth, while focusing firmly on continued sustainability and contributing to national net zero targets.
“The aim is to grow Scotland’s mussel production by an additional 10,000 tonnes per year, safeguarding existing jobs and creating new ones in an industry operating in many of Scotland’s more remote and fragile areas.
“The industry has faced challenges in terms of reliable spat (juvenile mussel) recruitment in the past, which has affected mussel production. A strand of this project will be to create more secure and reliable capture of spat to ensure consistent production.
“There is still much to learn around the productivity of a particular environment or location, so we will be developing predictive growth models to assess production capacity in current and future farm locations.”
Seafood Shetland chief executive Ruth Henderson said the final part of the project will be around establishing international collaboration between industry and academia to measure, analyse, and disseminate best practices into mussel farming.
“Mussel farming is still a relatively new industry and there is still much to discover, which will allow us to sustain and grow production in the most environmentally sustainable way,” she said.
Overseeing the implementation of this nine-year project will be Professor Derek McGhee, dean of research and innovation at UHI.
“The Shell-volution project is a game-changer for Scotland’s mussel farming sector,” he added.
“By driving innovation and sustainability, we will unlock the full potential of this crucial industry, providing benefits for the economy, the environment, and rural communities for years to come.”
Chief Executive of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers Dr Nick Lake added that the initiative will help to address key challenges in the sector.
Elaine Jamieson, head of life sciences and blue economy at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, added that mussel farming “sustains valuable employment in many of our rural and island communities”.
Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: “This exciting shellfish aquaculture project – backed by £4.4 million UK Government funding – is a great example of collaboration to find innovative solutions for boosting productivity in mussel farming, creating jobs and decarbonising the sector in Scotland and beyond.”
The project is underpinned by partnerships between UHI, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers, Seafood Shetland and the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group.
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