After a long consutation process we have at last obtained the consent to expand the farm site which when it is on stream , will aleviate the periods when we run out of mussels . Demand has been steadily increasing and we do run out of Brixham mussels at times, and have to wait for more mussels to grow to a marketable size . The two lads on the mussel harvester have been puting out ropes which have been seeded , and they report that the barrels which keep the longlines up are gradually sinking as the mussel seed grows . The rate of growth will ease of during the winter months and pick up again in the spring . To harvest the increased mussel load we have applied for an EU grant towards an Aquaculture Service Vessel which has been approved and we are .currently looking at two vessels which will meet the criteria .

bysuss thread

We had feed back from one of the merchants who supply the London restaurants .
One of his customers was unhappy because he/they had,had to take off the bysuss thread which the mussels use, to attach themselves to what ever they are growing on.
If you pull out the bysuss which is attached to the mussel internally, you will shorten the mussels life and it will DIE.
The bysuss threads should be removed shortly before they are going to be cooked .
If the removal of the bysuss threads are becoming time consuming ,a Dutch company called Franken BV, manufacture a debysying machine which has contra rotating rollers which have a thread on the roller which will take the hairs off the mussels.
The machines are available in various sizes to suit the different sized restaurants.
Visit the web site www.brixhamseafarmsltd.co.uk where there is a section on looking after your shellfish and the subject of bysuss threads is covered