Attendees Explore Adaptation Strategies at BIM/ IFA Aquaculture Mussel Industry Workshop

Pictured at the BIM/ IFA Aquaculture Mussel industry workshop are l-r:
Johnny Wilhare, Mulroy Bay Mussels Ltd, Bryan Hyland, Crescent Seafoods, Finian O’Sullivan, Bantry Harbour Mussels & IFA Aquaculture Chairman, Teresa Morrissey, IFA Aquaculture, Trish Daly, BIM, Declan Sullivan Collaros Seafarms, Michael O’Sullivan, Bantry Harbour Mussels, Louis Mulloy, Blackshell Farm

BIM and IFA Aquaculture are hosting a two-day workshop (Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 February 2025) for Irish mussel farmers, bringing together a range of experts on the sector from BIM, the Marine Institute, SFPA, Bord Bia, Marine Stewardship Council and academia. The 85-strong delegates discussed topics including potential climate change impacts, adaptation strategies to changes in growth rates and spawning patterns, market trends, sustainability of mussel farming and perceptions of labelling. It was attended by mussel producers from Wexford to Donegal representing both the rope and bottom mussel sectors.

2023 and 2024 have been challenging years for these sectors with apparent changes in spawning and settlement patterns of mussels, resulting in little or no settlement in the southwest and east coasts. There can be many reasons for this including changes in food availability, environmental conditions, water quality and even population genomics. These were discussed in detail with information exchanged between producers and scientists to try and shed light on a complex problem.

The second day of the workshop focused on the importance of monitoring and recording simple quality data, which may help mussel farmers adapt and manage their husbandry calendars in the future. Until recently settlement occurred around the same time every year, but this was not the case in 2023 and 2024.

Speaking at the event, BIM Development Executive, Patricia Daly announced, “After the workshop, BIM plan to roll out a pilot monitoring programme in the southwest in co-operation with mussel farmers. Condition indices will be calculated and plankton samples taken weekly from Spring through to late Summer and sent for analysis.

Farmers will be able to estimate when their mussels have spawned by following the condition index of their stocks and analysis of the plankton samples will reflect the abundance of mussel larvae in the water along with their developmental stage – a key indicator for deciding when to deploy spat collector ropes.”

Further information on this project will be available soon.