20 Aug 2024
The UK’s first large-scale offshore mussel farm, located in Lyme Bay off South Devon, is helping shellfish reefs return to the seabed for the first time in up to 150 years, according to a new study. Established in 2013, the farm’s mussel lines have transformed the seabed from muddy sediment into reefs, benefitting commercial fish […]
02 Jul 2024
The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government have released a report based on the returns of an annual survey questionnaire sent to all active authorised shellfish farming businesses in Scotland. Statistics on employment, production and value of shellfish from Scottish shellfish farms are presented. Photo: Andy Castille Summary In 2023, 10,311 tonnes of common […]
25 Jul 2023
Actions to increase the productivity of Scotland’s aquaculture sector and help reduce its impact on the environment have been set out in a new strategy. The Vision for sustainable aquaculture describes the Scottish Government’s long-term aspirations to 2045 for the finfish, shellfish and seaweed farming sectors, and the wider aquaculture supply chain. The Vision for […]
30 May 2023
“Very high” levels of E coli found in oysters and mussels have led to the closure of 11 shellfish production zones in Cornwall. In an email seen by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, the Cornwall Port Health Authority (CPHA) told food business operators they “must not collect the affected animals from this area by any […]
17 Jan 2023
Dredging at freeport sites across the UK should be paused while a mass die-off of marine life is investigated, ministers have been told. MPs used a Commons questions session to express further concerns over the deaths of thousands of crabs and lobsters washed up on North Sea beaches, the Evening Standard reported. The Government said it […]
22 Nov 2022
Campaigners who blame dredging for a die-off of shellfish along the North East coast have called for a halt to the practice in the River Tees while investigations continue. In October 2021, thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were found washed up on the Tees estuary and neighbouring north-east beaches. Countless crustaceans were found, with Marske […]
11 Oct 2022
A minister has said he will “seriously” consider a study that claimed a toxic chemical was more likely to have caused mass shellfish deaths than algae. Last week we reported that new research carried out by several universities commissioned by the fishing industry said pyridine, which could have been released by dredging, was […]
23 Aug 2022
Lib Dems call for Sewage Tax to prevent water firms polluting shellfish habitats. Lobsters, crabs, clams and oysters are the “forgotten victims” of sewage being dumped into the sea and rivers around the UK, new analysis has shown. (Photo credit: Cocklers at work in Morecombe Bay. PA / PA Archive) The London Evening […]
