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Mussel company owner looks forward to being able to export to the EU
by Eurofish
countries with the international directives given by FAO and IUCN and with the strategies of European Policy Cooperation; (ii) to support the partner countries in addressing the challenges that face their HE institutions and systems concerning the management of NNS, including risk identification, stakeholder participation, planning, and governance of aquaculture facilities and related fishery industries; (iii) to promote communication and awareness of stakeholders (students, workers in aquaculture and tourism sectors, and fishers) about the threat that NNS pose to biodiversity; (iv) to promote voluntary convergence with EU developments in HE and fisheries industry and contribute to cooperation among the consortium partners on the management of NNS; (v) to develop a risk management model for aquatic NNS in the Western Balkans; and (vi) to produce a policy framework for creating new occupations through the proposal of a new position “Risk Manager”. To reach these objectives and prevent further introduction and spread of NNS in the partner countries, HE institutions and workers from the private sector related to fishery and aquatic ecosystem conservation were involved in the project’s activities.
Stakeholder involvement in creating a common language and providing the necessary structure for every stakeholder to work in the same direction are essential components of this project. Implementing new measures to manage aquatic NNS effectively requires strengthening the partners’ capacities. The added value of this project is the development of a protocol to explore the adaptation processes of socio-ecological systems in contrasting geographical settings, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas.
Roadshow to different countries strengthens links between partners
In the framework of this project, a Balkan tour was organised from 21 to 28 August 2022. The objectives of the tour were to draft the strategic implementation of the NNS courses in the partner countries, strengthen the established cooperation with stakeholders, and exchange experiences between the partner countries. The first stop on the RiskMan Balkan tour was in the ancient city of Kotor, organised by the Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro. Strategies to introduce the new HE courses and curricula related to NNS in aquatic ecosystems were discussed. Several meetings were organised with local stakeholders, represented by marine aquaculture farmers (mussel and fish farms) and a seafood distribution centre. In Tirana, the Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT) and the Albanian Centre for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development (ACEPSD) hosted the second part of the tour, where future plans for collaboration and joint projects, not only related to NNS, were discussed. As in Kotor, the tour participants had a chance to see the newly obtained equipment that would improve the didactics and provide particular skills for future professionals studying at AUT. The last stop was in Ohrid city, situated on the Ohrid lake, one of the richest European ecosystems in endemic species. Several meetings regarding protected areas and their management were organised by the Hydrological Institute Ohrid and the National Park Gali ica. The Gulf of Bones was chosen as a site for the meetings with stakeholders and dissemination activities. RiskMan partners presented the NNS and invasive species in Ohrid lake and the risks and impacts they could bring.
In addition, the RiskMan Balkan tour has spawned a network of lifelong colleagues that will ensure the sustainability of the RiskMan project and form the basis for new initiatives in the future.
Prof. Rigers Bakiu, Head of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana
Big and meaty Mediterranean mussels
Mussels from the Shengjin bay in Albania are grown on ropes for about 12 months before they are harvested and sold on the domestic market. One company, Lissus Adria, dominates the production which is marketed fresh in nets.
The aquaculture sector in Albania includes cultivation in the sea as well as in freshwater. Seabass and seabream are the main finfish species grown in marine water, while rainbow trout dominates the production in freshwater. In addition, a few companies are producing mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Butrinti lagoon in the south of the country while another, Lissus Adria, is farming them on lines in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Shengjin, a city in the north.
According to Instat, the national statistical institute, mussel production in Albania has fluctuated significantly over the five years to 2021 peaking at 1,100 tonnes in 2018 and falling back to 600 tonnes in 2021. Tonin Suli, a director and shareholder in Lissus Adria, is responsible for the mussel production. The bivalves are native to the area and are grown on ropes suspended from lines as
Tonin Suli, the director of Lissus Adria, a company that farms Mediterranean mussels on lines in the Shengjin bay.
is typical on the other side of the Adriatic, in Italy. The company has licensed an area of 76 ha for its mussel cultivating activities and is currently the only mussel farming company in the bay.
The mussels are collected and sold exclusively on the domestic market as their export to the EU is banned. Mussels can harbour toxins which they filter from the water in which they grow. These can become concentrated in the flesh of the mussel and pose a risk to consumer health. The level of the toxins is influenced by several factors including the time of the year and therefore must be monitored continuously. According to Mr Suli, tests to control the presence of harmful bacteria in mussels have consistently given good results with bacterial contamination measured at below 230 cfu (colony forming units)/100 g of mussel meat. This allows the water to be classified as Class A meaning mussels from here can be sold for direct human consumption without the need for depuration. But, Mr Suli says, the European Commission’s Directorate for Health and Food
A winch raises the line that supports the mussel encrusted ropes so they can be removed. Packaging the mussels in nets and attaching a label is a matter of a few seconds.
Safety has to visit the country and report on the water quality at the mussel farming sites in Shingjin and in the Butrinti lagoon and only after that can restrictions on exports be reconsidered.
Mussels are a good source of proteins with a high content of essential amino acids; essential fatty acids including the wellknown omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; vitamins; and minerals. They are low in calories, very tasty, and easy to prepare in different ways. Their nutritional content varies with the season in which they are harvested, for example, the protein content is highest in spring, but in general they are highly nutritious and good to eat around the year.
Several environmental benefits to mussel cultivation
Mussels are a low trophic level species and well-managed cultivation is a sustainable low impact operation. The animals are filter feeders drawing their nutrition from the naturally occurring plankton in the water—they are not given any feed. Growth is aided by stable climatic and water conditions. Apart from their use as food for human consumption mussels are also believed to compensate for the nutrients released from fish farming operations. Lissus Adria grows its mussels the traditional way. Ropes suspended in the water collect the mussel spat during the season which extends from mid-December to mid-April. The spat is then removed from the collector rope and distributed on to other ropes. It takes about one year for the spat to become market-sized mussels, says Mr Suli. The rate of growth depends on a number of factors including the oxygen and nutrition content of the water and its temperature. Today the company produces some 500 tonnes annually, but if and when he is allowed to export, he expects the production to increase. Of the 76 ha for which the farm has a concession only 42 ha are being utilised as the domestic market is currently the only outlet for the production. During the course of the year the mussels are removed from the water cleaned, re-attached to ropes and returned to the water. Any other organisms that have attached to the ropes are also removed during this process, which is repeated five times to ensure the quality of the final product, says Mr Suli.
The mussels that are ready for harvest are large and full of meat.
The company has a harvesting vessel that is equipped with a harvesting belt that feeds the mussels into a de-clumping and washing machine from where they move to the packaging equipment. A mesh net attached to the packager is then filled with the desired quantity of mussels. The company’s customers are primarily restaurants and fishmongers who place their orders for which the harvesting is then carried out. If demand is low the mussels are not harvested and is there is a lot of demand the harvest is increased. In general, however, over the last few years
The product is sold on the local market as exports of mussels from Albania to the EU are not permitted.
demand has shown an upward trend, maintains Mr Suli. The season for harvesting the mussels is from June to November. The water temperature is very suitable for the mussels in this period, the harvests are bountiful, and In the summer months in particular local demand for mussels is high thanks to the influx of tourists.
The fallout from global warming can be felt here too
Global warming is a major concern for the company. The mussels can grow in water that is up to 22-23 degrees. Beyond that and they will start to perish. A local institute monitors the temperature of the water in this part of the Adriatic. Temperatures have been fluctuating in the last couple of years, last year for example the water was unseasonably warm while this year it has not been. Mr Suli is hopeful that the rivers that drain into the Adriatic Sea will help to prevent an increase in water temperature that threatens the growth of the mussels. The average temperature in this part of the Adriatic in summer is 24 and in winter is 13 degrees, Mr Suli says, and this combined with the clean water offers good conditions for growing mussels. The warming waters have also resulted in the migration of species that are not typically seen at these latitudes in the Adriatic, but so far none of the invasive species seems to be attacking the mussels.
He looks forward to Albania joining the EU as it will allow the export of Lissus Adria mussels to buyers in the other Member States. The fact that producers there will also be able to export to Albania does not worry him as he feels the Albanian market is much too small to interest producers in countries such as Spain and Italy. Lissus Adria has already been receiving enquiries from traders in EU countries interested in buying mussels, but because of the ban on imports from Albania these enquiries have not developed into contracts.
Lissus Adria
Tonin Suli, director and shareholder
Product: Line grown
Mediterranean mussels Volume: 500 tonnes/year Facilities: 76 ha of sea area for ropes Market: Albania
