Certifier : 
Control Union (UK) Limited
Certified status : 
Certified
Certified since : 
29 Oct 2013
Certificate expires : 
30 May 2029

Overview

Fisheries are composed of one or more parts, each of which is entitled to receive an MSC certificate. These parts or “units” are defined by their target stock(s), fishing gear type(s) and if relevant vessel type(s), and the fishing fleets or groups of vessels.

When the term “Unit of Certification” is used for fishing units that are in assessment, it refers to the “Unit of Assessment” or “Unit of potential certification”. Expand a status below to view the parts that form this fishery. To check the detailed scope, download the latest certificate or open the Assessments page to get the latest report. Find out more by visiting our page on Fisheries

Units of Certification & Certificate Information

  • Certified
    MSC UoC Number Species Gear Type Ocean Area Certificate Code
    UoC-0684 Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) Dredges - Boat dredges 27 (Atlantic, Northeast) MSC-F-31410 (F-CUP-028)
    UoC-0683 Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) Miscellaneous Gear: Suspended ropes 27 (Atlantic, Northeast) MSC-F-31410 (F-CUP-028)
  • No longer in the program
    MSC UoC Number Species Gear Type Ocean Area Status (Units of Certification)
    UoC-0685 Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) Miscellaneous Gear: Translocation of mussel seed 27 (Atlantic, Northeast) Withdrawn

View glossary of terms

Catch by Species

Species Reported Catch Year Metric Tonnes
Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) 2022 1,026

Information is provided by an independent Conformity Assessment Body as live weight (the weight of species at the time of catch, before processing) and where a fishing season covers multiple years, the end year is given as the reported catch year. Additional information is available in the latest report, see the assessments page.

About this Fishery

German mussel fishnet image © Dominik Butzmann

Blue mussels are bivalve shellfish that thrive in a range of habitats. As adults, mussels are anchored to a secure substrate, which include rocks, stones, gravel, shingle and dead shells. Before this, they have a free-swimming larval stage.

Commercial mussel fisheries harvest seed mussels or “spats” in the wild. These tiny creatures are then grown on in cultivation plots.

The Lower Saxony mussel fishery collects wild spats in the Wadden Sea, using either a traditional mussel dredge or a trawl net. Mussel seeds can also be collected from spat collectors – ropes or nets that are suspended in the water column, onto which spats attach themselves.

The mussel seeds are placed on mussel plots on the seabed for on-growing. Once they reach a favourable size for consumers, they are fished again using the same dredging or trawling gear.

Market Information

The Netherlands is the main export market for Lower Saxony mussels.