Common Name	Blue Mussels	Conservation Notes
Scientific Name	Mytilus edulis	Sustainability Ratings/Certifications
Market Names	Bay Mussels, Mussels	Buying Tips
Sushi Name	Muurugai	Health/Nutrition

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MUSSELS MARKET ALERT - updated August 2011

The market for mussels remains relatively calm as supply and demand are both steady. Through June, U.S. imports of mussels were up about 10% to just over 14,000 metric tons. Most of the increase was in imports of frozen mussels from New Zealand and Chile. The Kiwis shipped about 5,000 metric tons of their greenshell mussels, an increase of 10% over last year, while Chilean mussels farmers shipped just over 2,000 metric tons of blue mussels to the U.S., a year-to-year increase of about 25%. In spite of the increased supply, prices for greenshell mussels on the half shell have jumped from an average of about $1.90/lb. last August to about $2.40/lb. this August.
 
Imports of live blue mussels from Canada were up slightly through June to 6,500 metric tons. More than 90% of these imports are from farms located on Prince  Edward Island. The average price of live PEI mussels has increased slightly from $1.13/lb. last year to $1.17/lb. this year.

Production of domestic mussels remains flat as the handful of existing farms in Washington and Maine have found it nearly impossible to expand due to adjacent shoreline owners who have successfully battled against “industrial shellfish farming” for decades. One farm in Washington state has spent 14 years trying to get approval for a modest 2-acre expansion of its Mediterranean mussel farm.  Meanwhile, the largest mussel producer in Maine called it quits three years ago after a 30-year struggle and while a handful of new farms have sprung up in its wake production is modest. Total U.S. farmed mussel production will remain well below 2,000 metric tons for the foreseeable future.

Conservation Notes

Advantages: Blue mussels are usually farmed in areas where they are native. They are filter feeders that take in plankton so no extra feed is needed to grow them. In Maine, mussel farms are protected from duck predators with fine mesh that is weighted and there are no problems there with entanglements, according to the Blue Ocean Institute. They are often raised on ropes submersed in coastal areas. The New England Aquarium calls the suspended culture system one of the most environmentally friendly forms of aquaculture. Blue shell mussel operations in Denmark, The Netherlands, and the Irish Sea have been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s standards of sustainability.

Challenges: Although mussels are filter-feeders that actually improve water quality, they require a healthy environment. The Seafood Choices Alliance reports that harmful algal toxins in the water have caused some mussel farming areas to be closed temporarily. Some farmed blue mussels are harvested using dredges, a common practice off the coast of New England. This is a method that the Blue Ocean Institute reports causes some disruption to the seafloor bottom habitat.

Sustainability Ratings and Certifications

	Seafood Watch	SeaChoice	FishWise	Blue Ocean Institute	New England Aquarium	Marine Stewardship Council
Canada &   United States Farmed	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice	Green	A List
International Farmed	Best Choice	Best Choice	Best Choice		A List	Certified*

*Three fisheries in Europe are certified to the standards of the Marine Stewardship Council

Rating Explanation

Seafood Watch rates all farmed blue mussels worldwide as a "Best Choice." Blue Ocean Institute's rating for blue mussels covers the United States and Canada only.

Buying Tips

• Blue mussels are the most widely consumed mussel in North America
• Mussels are sold live and frozen as whole cooked, meats, and cooked on the half shell
• Buyers should adopt a seasonal strategy because meat content decreases dramatically after mussels spawn: blue mussels are at their peak in winter and early spring while Mediterranean mussels are better in the spring, summer, and fall
• Generally, rope-grown mussels have thin, clean shells and high meat content
• Some producers hold mussels in tanks of water that are treated with ultraviolet light which destroys harmful bacteria, a process known as "depuration"

Nutrition and Health

 *Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is caused by eating bivalve shellfish that is contaminated with algae containing harmful toxins. The toxin that causes PSP cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing. Inquire with your
supplier about routine testing of products.

Acknowledgements

• Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute
• SeaChoice
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Mussel Industry Council of North America