SW14 Home  |    Teaching Ideas  |   Seaweek Events | Seaweek Backgound Information

As mussels are filter feeders, the mussels receive a natural diet of algae, detritus and bacteria, rather than artificial diets or pellets.

Case Study: Spring Bay Seafoods Mussel Farms

See www.springbayseafoods.com.au/spring-bay-mussels

The farms are located in greater Spring Bay and the passage between Spring Bay and Maria Island. They are located 2 kilometres offshore with a fast flowing, cold, nutrient-rich current.

Mussels are usually grown on special ropes suspended between 25 to 35 metres below the surface. They attach themselves to these ropes using their beards.

Adapted from "Mussel and Scallop culture rope diagram"

Spring Bay Seafoods have one of the only commercial-scale mussel hatcheries anywhere in the world. Using novel rearing techniques the mussels are raised from fertilization and cared for under strict quality and environmental conditions, then transferred to the culture ropes on the farms.

Harvesting involves the operation of specialised mussel-stripping machinery on specially built vessels. After harvesting the mussels pass through a brush cleaner, and then a series of rollers that mechanically 'shave' off the beard. The mussels are then placed back into chilled fresh seawater and allowed to rest before being packed in ice ready for transport.

Spring Bay Seafoods grade the mussels for size and mainly sell the large mussels between 76–100mm which reach maturity between 14–18 months.