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Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery

Last Updated: 4 April 2013
Number of fisheries: 1

Species

Mussel (Mytilus edulis). Irish sea blue mussel seed.

MSC assessment status

The Conformity Assessment Body, SAI Global Assurance Services, has announced that the Public Comment Draft Report for the Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery is now available for comment for a period of 30 days. Any stakeholder wishing to comment on the report is invited to contact Karen O’Connor no later than 5pm GMT, 4 May 2013.

Stakeholders are advised that they are to provide objective evidence in support of any additional claims or any claimed errors of fact in their response to the Public Comment Draft Report. Any comments made by stakeholders shall be documented and forwarded by the certification body to its certification decision-making entity.

To find out more please view the assessment downloads.

Fishery location

Various Irish Sea locations within designated under Northern Ireland or Ireland fishery regulations (e.g. Wicklow Bank, Skull martin).  FAO 27

Fishing method

Modified Dutch bottom dredge

Fishery management

DAFF, Ireland (for seed mussel fishing within Irish waters).

Commercial market

Bottom mussels are sold in fresh (live) and prepared forms (fresh, frozen vacuum packed mussel in sauce) and more advanced ready meals(half shell with toppings) and as frozen meats into the wholesale, retail and food service markets.  products are largely exported to Europe (France, Benelux, UK, Germany and others) and US (prepared frozen mussels in sauce).

Assessment timeline

The assessment process is expected to take 11 months and is scheduled for completion around 11/2012. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.

The target eligibility date for this fishery is the 05/02/2012.

The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.

To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).

Tonnage of the fishery

The total Seed allocations for 2010 season (Northern Ireland and Ireland) were  35,397 tonnes.

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