The total volume of mussels (Mytilus spp.) produced in Scotland increased 6 percent last year to reach a record level of 7,270 metric tons (MT), according to the new “Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey 2016,” published by Marine Scotland Science.
The study further finds that Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) production increased by 31 percent to 3.5 million shells, the native oyster (Ostrea edulis) harvest increased by 0.5 percent to 201,000 shells, queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis) production increased by 370 percent to 155,000 shells and the production of farmed scallops (Pecten maximus) climbed 17 percent to 35,000 shells.
Prices of farmed shellfish fluctuated throughout the year, with Pacific oysters achieving an average first-sale price of GBP 0.39 (USD 0.50, EUR 0.45) per shell; native oysters fetching GBP 0.60 (USD 0.77, EUR 0.69) per shell; scallops GBP 2.03 (USD 2.62, EUR 2.33) per shell; queen scallops GBP 0.12 (USD 0.15, EUR 0.14) per shell and mussels GBP 1,300 (USD 1,676, EUR 1,492) per MT.
The 2016 total first-sale value for all species was calculated at approximately GBP 11.7 million (USD 15.1 million, EUR 13.5 million), up from from GBP 10.1 million (USD 13 million, EUR 11.6 million) in 2015. Of this new total, mussels contributed GBP 10.1 million, Pacific oysters GBP 1.4 million (USD 1.8 million, EUR 1.6 million), native oysters GBP 120,000 (USD 154,700, EUR 137,651), farmed scallops GBP 70,000 (USD 90,241, EUR 80,295) and queen scallops GBP 20,000 (USD 25,784, EUR 22,953).
There were 180 sites in Scotland producing shellfish for sale last year, an increase of 5 percent compared to 2015. The industry employs just 315 people.
