Sustainably farmed, award winning shellfish from the sparkling water of the River Exe, Devon

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You may have seen these boats working in the river and might have wondered what they are up to. They belong to the Exmouth Mussel Company and represent an ongoing investment in the mussel farm which winds between the moorings. The green boat ('Five J's') transports and relays the tiny seed mussel, squirting tbem out underwater through specially adapted ports. The red boat ('BloodHound') has an elevator system which hoovers up the tiny seedlings from the mouth of the estuary in a race between the fishermen, the storms and the starfish.

2011 has been a very busy year for the award-winning company with the completion of an 18 month cockle survey carried out on their elevator boat by English Nature and the Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Agency. This showed no measurable impact on the cockle stocks, immature year classes, new recruitment or the benthic communities over which the fishing took place. The survey is ongoing and although the company has been allowed to fish, Myles Blood Smyth, the owner of Exmouth Mussels, says the stocks vary so much that he will only take his quota when the river shows it has a surplus.

The Dutch scientific research unit 'Gimaris' has also completed a 'SASI' (Shellfish Associated Species Index) in the river. A total of 58 species were recorded on the mussel beds showing the immense bio-diversity and biomass that the mussels encourage, acting like a coral reef on the river bed. With several hundred tons of mussels growing beneath the surface there are huge feeding opportunities and habitat solutions for all the wildlife in the river. Crab populations are also very high on the beds giving the bait fishermen an unexpected bonus.

Lastly, Myles and his team have entered the Marine Stewardship Council's accreditation scheme for sustainable and environmentally beneficial fisheries. MSC award holders can display the MSC badge on their products and it shows the customer that the shellfish were ethically and sustainably produced. The assessment takes about nine months and is an in-depth study of all the criteria essential to win this world renowned accolade. All stakeholders will be contacted and the results will be known in late summer.