Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group mussels achieve prestigious MSC award

The award of the flagship eco-label to SSMG member farms based on the Scottish west coast and Shetland will enable consumers to make informed choices when purchasing mussels and provide an important marketing boost by highlighting the Group’s environmental credentials and help support the market for sustainable seafood.

The recognition follows a rigorous 18 month assessment of SSMG mussels by independent certifier Food Certification International (FCI), which examined all aspects the production cycle and the techniques employed. In Shetland, the certification was supported by a partnership arrangement between SSMG and Seafood Shetland, which means that all Shetland produced mussels are now MSC certified. The certification process for both Shetland and the West coast was also supported by a £20,000 donation from The Co-operative Group’s Sustainable Fishing Fund.

Stephen Cameron, MD of SSMG, said: “We are committed to environmental responsibility and achieving this prestigious recognition demonstrates to our customers and consumers that our members are dedicated to cultivating a quality and sustainable product.”

Mussels produced by SSMG are collected naturally as free-swimming larvae, also referred to as spat, which settle on lines suspended in open water. They then grow naturally by feeding on plankton carried by the rich tidal flows found around the Scottish west coast and Shetland, making it an enhanced fishery with no adverse environmental impact.

Stephen Cameron adds: “Our mussel producers are totally dependent upon nature, which makes this type of operation one of the most sustainable and environmentally responsible around.”