|
WESTCOUNTRY
MUSSELS AWARDED OBJECTIVE 1 GRANT Westcountry mussels has been awarded an Objective One fisheries grant to purchase a mussel harvesting boat and cleaning / grading machine. The company, farming mussel rope sites in Truro River, and processing in Fowey, is producing quality mussels sought after by local restaurants and fish merchants. However, the site for mussels is prone to high levels of barnacles, which must be removed before market, so the cleaner / grader will help the company prepare the mussels for market, ensuring top quality. To increase the efficiency of the business, and therefore it’s production, the provision of a boat, housing the cleaning machine, will help clean mussels as they are harvested. These efficiencies will assist the company increase production two fold to meet growing market demand. In addition there will be environmental benefits as the water used can be returned to the river straight away, and any small mussels can be re-roped and grown on. The project will secure one full time job and create one part time job. Alison Elvey Objective One Programme Manager welcomes the project: "This local mussel producer, supplying high quality mussels to local markets, is exactly the type of project the programme can support. Securing and creating employment for a local business, which is succeeding by selling a quality product, is important. In addition, mussel production is a type of aquaculture currently underexploited in Cornwall"Gary Rawle, the owner of Westcountry Mussels commented: "Westcountry Mussels in conjunction with Fowey Sea Farms is the only rope grown mussels to be both grown and sold in the Westcountry. Mussels grown on rope have a far higher yield of meat to shell, but suffer from heavy fouling ie: seaweed, barnicles and sea- anemonies etc. This new French cleaning machine will be the first of its kind in England and I believe will be the first of many as areas of Cornwall develop to the ever growing market for high quality local shellfish. With the help of Objective One I am sure the growth will be rapid and sustainable in a very green and environmentally friendly industry". |
|
South
West PESCA Ltd
Trevint House - Strangways Villas - Truro - Cornwall - TR1 2PA Tel: 01872 270333 - Fax: 01872 242470 - info@swpesca.co.uk |
