Good news for enthusiasts: the first Zeeland mussels were collected from the Oosterschelde on Thursday and they look great. “They are nicely filled, of excellent quality and again available remarkably early,” says the Producers’ Organization of Dutch Mussel Culture.
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga, ANP
After two difficult seasons, mussel farmers can look forward to a strong, high-quality harvest of the first soil culture mussels in Zeeland. In recent years they have had to deal with lower yields due to natural mortality and changing conditions in the waters of Zeeland, but this year all the ingredients are present for a strong mussel season.
“A lot of trust”
“The quality we see today gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the year,” says Addy Risseeuw, chairman of the Producers’ Organization of Dutch Mussel Culture. “That is good news for our growers, but also for the trade, the catering industry and of course the consumer.”
Again earlier than usual
The mussels are earlier than usual for the second year in a row. Traditionally, we have to wait until the beginning of July for the first mussels, but this year too they are ready for sale in mid-June. Exactly when they are ready for harvest depends, among other things, on water temperature, food supply and other natural conditions.
“We had a lot of sun in March, April and May. The sunlight makes the phytoplankton grow well, which is an important food source for mussels,” Risseeuw explains. “They are not super large shells, but they are very nicely filled,” says the Dutchman. “Last year the mussels were also good, but this year they have more volume.”