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MUSSEL farmers on Loch Etive are taking their last stand against an invasive species that has decimated the population of the native stock.
Over 40,000 mussel ropes will be pulled from the loch by the end of August for up to two years in an attempt to eradicate Mytilus Trossulus, a thin-shelled low meat species that yields no market value.
Since invading the waters of the loch in 2002, it has hybridised with the native and sellable Mytilus Edulis species, and taken its place on the mussel ropes, meaning the loch’s mussel output has been reduced to zero.
It’s hoped that by effectively starting again the industry in Loch Etive will return to the days when it produced 1,000 tonnes of prime mussels for sale across the UK and abroad every year.
If the experiment fails, it will spell the end of mussel farming on the loch for good.
The only two companies mussel farming in Etive, Taynuilt’s Celtic Sea and Muckairn Mussels Ltd of Connel, are pinning their entire hopes on it.
Muckairn Mussels managing director, Walter Speirs, is one of the UK’s leading experts on shellfish farming, sitting on many government agency advisory boards and committees.
He said: ‘In 2002, we started noticing this different type of mussel on the ropes, thereafter things started getting worse and they’re now hybridised with the Edulis. Production has since fallen to zero.
‘The plan is to take the ropes out and leave the loch to fallow. The hope is that after a period we can put the ropes back in and start again.’
Trossulus’ shells are so weak that they cannot defend themselves against predators nor the rigours of open water currents, hence the cause for optimism.
Mr Speirs said: ‘Natural selection seems to take them out; but there’s no guarantee that they won’t come back because nobody knows where they came from.’
During the experiment, the waters will be monitored to look at the impact on the Trossulus. Should it move prove successful after one year, the ropes could be re-submerged early.
In the meantime, the ropes will be stored on land and allowed to dry, killing off the Trossulus.
For Celtic Sea, that means using the area of ground traditionally used as a car park by fishermen as a store for the ropes. That means the pier, known locally as Bonawe Pier, will be unavailable for use by fishermen or charter hires for the duration of the experiment, after which it will be returned for use as a car park.
Various discussions with the local community council and interested parties will take place over the next few weeks and months to help facilitate those who will have to find other arrangements elsewhere meantime.
Mr Speirs said: ‘If this isn’t successful, we’ll have to look at winding up.’
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