Mussel production in the E.U. reached a six-year peak in 2015, totaling 492,187 metric tons (MT) with a value of EUR 434 million (USD 516.5 million), according to the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products’ (EUMOFA) new annual report “The EU Fish Market – 2017 Edition.” The volume and value of the bivalves were both up 8 percent year-on-year, with the value also being the highest recorded since 2008.
Spain, by far the leading E.U. producer of mussels, accounted for 46 percent of the total volume in 2015, but in value terms, its share of 27 percent was lower than that of France (32 percent). EUMOFA said that it was indeed France that led the growth of mussel value at E.U. level. This included a 35 percent or EUR 36 million (USD 42.9 million) boost in value compared with 2014, and a 30 percent or 17,500 MT increase in volume.
The price of French mussels also increased by 4 percent to EUR 1.84 (USD 2.19) per kg.
In Spain, farmed mussel production in 2015 reached a nine-year peak at 225,307 MT worth EUR 115 million (USD 136.9 million), up 2 percent and 4 percent respectively. The price continued to follow the same “steady path” of the previous 10 years, said EUMOFA, selling at EUR 0.51 (USD 0.61) per kg.
The reason for the price difference with France is that most Spanish mussel production goes to the processing industry, while all of France’s mussels go to the fresh market.
Elsewhere, Italy’s unchanged 63,700 MT of mussels in 2015 sold at the same price of EUR 0.78 (USD 0.93) per kg. Dutch mussels, meanwhile, decreased in value by 13 percent or EUR 9 million (USD 10.7 million) despite not registering any volume variation, selling at EUR 1.06 (USD 1.26) per kg.
According to the report, the E.U.’s mussel consumption has been climbing since 2013, reaching 1.33 kg per capita in 2015, up 7 percent compared with the previous year.
