Mussels from Galicia
Mussels from Galicia is a protected designation of origin since January 1, 2007 ("Mexillón de Galicia"). These mussels of the species Mytilus galloprovincialis are the first marine product to be awarded this European Union certification.
For several generations the Galician mussels have been reared in aquaculture . The farms are concentrated in five large estuaries, the Rías Baixas . Based on this method of cultivation are Bateas, attached to the basic floating platforms (predominantly) eucalyptus wood m with a side length of 25 that carry a maximum of 500 with the mussel ropes breeding to harvest maturity. The mussels have no ground contact and are completely free of sand. The harvest in these near-natural aquacultures takes place without any significant impairment of the marine fauna.
Economic importance of mussels
According to the state "Technological Institute for the Control of the Marine Environment in Galicia" (INTECMAR), Galicia is now the largest producer of mussels in Europe and, after China, the most important producer in the world. With around 250,000 tons per year (as of 2004), 45% of the European and 95% of the Spanish total production is produced in Galicia. This amount corresponds to a share of 21% of world production. According to INTECMAR, the industry has a total of around 18,500 employees who are directly or indirectly involved in the rearing, control and further processing of the Galician mussel. That is around 1.8% of the workforce. 2,903 boats (year 2004, according to the “Consello Regulador”), on which around 6,000 fishermen , mostly men, work , are approved for production . Due to the strong economic links with numerous other industrial and service sectors, the importance of this sector is likely to be much greater. The Regulatory Council for the Galician Mussel (Consello Regulador Mexillón de Galicia), which represents the interests of fishermen, producers and processors, assesses the contribution of the mussel sector as “decisive” for the socio-economic success of Galicia.
In accordance with its economic and social importance, the highest attention is paid to everything related to the care and development of the Galician mussel and the water quality of all regions. In Galicia only five areas are authorized for mussel rearing on Bateas, four of them in the inner part of the Rías Baixas , fjord-like estuaries: Ría de Muros-Noia, Ría de Arousa , Ría de Pontevedra and Ría de Vigo and one in the area of the Rías Altas : Ría de Ares-Sada.
Rearing and Harvesting
The raising of the Galician mussel until the harvest takes place in a specially well suitable habitat: the Atlantic with strong tidal movement , oxygen-rich water and great food wealth, because by its proximity to the Gulf Stream is phytoplankton , the main food source of mussels, abundantly available. The phytoplankton content in the water is subject to seasonal fluctuations, which has a strong influence on the harvest quantity and, above all, the size (caliber).
The basis of the rearing is the batea, a raft made of eucalyptus wood with a side length of 25 m that can carry up to 500 ropes. The mussels grow on the ropes, which are up to 15 meters long. At the end of the growth phase, there is an amount of 200 to 220 kg per rope.
The time from rearing to harvest comprises four phases. In the first phase the mussel fry is extracted - called Mejilla in Galicia - and brought to the Bateas. In the second phase the brood is attached to the ropes with a fine water-soluble net. This net lasts until the mussels have developed their beard ( byssus ) with which they hold onto the rope and one another. This process is called encordado, or attachment. After a period of 4 to 6 months, the young mussels have already increased their weight by a factor of 10. Therefore, in the third phase , the young mussels are distributed over several ropes. The larger the mussels are, the further they are hung inside the batea, making space for young mussels on the outside, which find the greatest food supply there. After moving - "Desdoble" - they stay on their rope until the harvest. In the fourth phase , the harvest, up to 220 kilos of mussels per rope are harvested after a total of 15 to 18 months. This is done by boats that have hydraulic lifting devices and mechanical pre-cleaning systems. Pre-cleaning and pre-sorting according to size as well as packing in transport bags take place on the boat immediately after the harvest.
The mussels are immediately taken from the boat to the cleaning and shipping operations . According to Spanish law of 1991 and EU regulation 853/2004, it is mandatory to clean live mussels before marketing. The approved cleaning companies must have pools in which purified seawater from the Rías Baixas flows continuously . All live mussels (mussels, oysters , clams , cockles ) must remain here for at least 48 hours, until any natural pollutants that may occur have been filtered out and the mussels are safe for consumption. The mussels are then sorted according to size and specially packaged (fresh in sacks, boxes and shells in a protective atmosphere for export).
Protected Designation of Origin
Because of the comprehensive product maintenance and the various quality assurance measures as well as the consequent limitation of the Galician cultivation areas by the manufacturers and controlling supervisory bodies, mussels from Galicia have had a protected designation of origin since January 1, 2007 . This makes them the first marine product to be awarded this European Union award.
As part of the quality assurance of food which has EU among others, the label created "Protected Designation of Origin". It is intended to prevent particularly well-known and valued products from being misused in their area of origin and beyond. According to this, agricultural products and foodstuffs with a designation of origin can receive trademark-like protection across Europe by being entered in a directory maintained by the European Commission.
The production, processing and manufacture of a product must take place in a defined geographical area in accordance with a recognized and established procedure. The characteristic features of a protected designation of origin such as the manufacturing process, the geographical area, etc. are stored in a specification at the European Commission. The issuance is preceded by the fulfillment of extensive requirements, compliance with which must also be proven afterwards.
A special website of the Directorate General for Agriculture and Food of the European Commission provides further details (see web links).
To ensure that mussels from Galicia are only available fresh on the consumer markets under the protected designation of origin Mejillón de Galicia , the mussels must meet other criteria in addition to a certain quality. Characteristic features of the mussels, including the geographical origin of the mussels, must not be changed, so only seawater from the Rías Gallegas in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra may be used to clean the mussels .
Quality assurance and controls
A special supervisory authority, the above-mentioned Consello Regulador from Vilagarcía de Arousa, is responsible for the quality assurance of the mussels and the monitoring of the conditions of the protected designation of origin . The “Regulatory Council” also secures and awards the Mexillón de Galicia brand name .
The supervisory authority keeps a "register of the Bateas" and regularly checks them on site. The controls include the breeding process, the number and length of the ropes and the correct geographical location of the platform. All points are documented in accordance with the regulations. When the farmed mussels arrive at the port, each batch receives a certificate containing all the data necessary for identification (place, time, size and meat weight, producer, recipient). Each batch receives a unique identification code and control documents for assured traceability.
In addition, the technical institute INTECMAR of the Galician government ( Xunta de Galicia ) takes daily water samples at fixed control points at different depths of all cultivation areas, which are immediately sealed and then examined and evaluated in the institute. In addition, there is the daily microbiological and chemical analysis of mussel samples. The aim is to maintain a permanent status of the quality of all harvesting areas and possible pollution so that we can intervene immediately if necessary and block harvesting areas.
Mussels may only be harvested in Galicia with the express permission of INTECMAR. For this purpose, all harvesting areas are divided into a cadastre . Fishermen and processing companies are informed on a daily basis about the condition and the approved harvesting areas via their own website, by fax, email or SMS.
Historical meaning
Extensive research into the historical significance of the mussels in Galicia was carried out for the application of the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) in 2006 for a protected designation of origin .
