April sees the start of Spain’s Mediterranean mussel season (Mytilus galloprovincialis), mainly cultivated in coastal waters off the northwestern province of Galicia, as its Latin name suggests. Production of this variety in Spain is topped only by China.
Since building Galicia’s first mussel raft in 1946, the mollusk has become Spain’s cheapest and most common seafood. The region supports a large fresh, pre-purification market and expanding processing and canning sectors. Nearly 65 percent of the world’s mussel production is canned, with Galicia’s mostly family-owned canning operators leading the sector.
Some 4,000 rafts (bateas) are positioned along Galicia’s five estuaries (Rías) at Vigo, Pontevedra, Arousa, Ares-Betanzos and Muros-Noia. The warm, high-nutrient estuaries shield mussel farms from changing maritime weather, providing a natural environment for the large floating rafts from which ropes are suspended.
The buoyant, saltwater-resistant eucalyptus and vertical water columns produce the highest yields — 200 metric tons of mussels suspended from each raft reach harvest size within 12 to 18 months, producing up to 300,000 pounds of meat per acre.
According to PescaGalicia, 215,681 metric tons of bivalve mollusks (mussels, clams, scallops and oysters) were harvested in 2010, representing 96.8 percent of marine aquaculture production with a first sale value of EUR 106.6 million (USD 139.4.million). The average first sale price of mussels in 2010 was EUR 0.41 (USD 0.53) per kilogram, an increase of 3.69 percent on 2009 when they traded at an average EUR 0.39 (USD 0.51) per kilogram.
Mytilus galloprovincialis has been subject to Protected Denomination of Origin by the European Union and Regulatory Council for the Galician Mussel since 2008. By 2010, the DOP Mejillón de Galicia® recorded more than 11 million certified kilograms — doubling in 2011 to 21.9 million certified kilograms.
According to the Council, “The path is very encouraging. There is an increase in both marketing channels: Fresh has almost doubled and processed is experiencing an increase in the application of products from different companies, including brands specializing in gourmet delicatessen such as Boiromar Seafood, Conservas Cortizo or Luis Escurís Batalla. In the largest volume segment we refer to the quality of Conservas Calvo.”
EUR 230,000 (USD 301,230) “Mussel Therapy” campaign to create awareness of mussels was launched by the Council in 2007. This was followed by a month-long Gastronomic Festival of the Galician Mussel promoting “the characteristics and singularities of mussel cultivation in Galician Rías” to restaurant chefs, traders and the seafood catering sector in Porto, northern Portugal, last year.
