Tasmanian mussels certified

Spring Bay has distinguished itself by its outstanding environmental performance to all the required standards. In particular, the independent international auditing company, SGS, “believes Spring Bay Mussels are particularly deserving of recognition for their low density farming and hatchery production of juvenile mussel spat.”

“You rarely find a company so dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability. The extent to which they monitor their water quality parameters, the care taken to select their mussel growing sites, their environmental impact assessment and reporting, their growing methods and hatchery production of juvenile mussels, and the quality assurance they provide to Spring Bay customers – these all make the company's environmental footprint close to zero,” said Dr Paolo Bray, director of Friend of the Sea. “Spring Bay Seafood's' mussel production is surely an example to be followed by the whole aquaculture industry”.

Spring Bay Seafood's is a shellfish company operating in greater Spring Bay near the picturesque national park of Maria Island, on the East Coast of Tasmania, in Australia. Spring Bay's blue mussels are rope-cultured deepwater mussels grown on unique suspended long-lines between 6-10m below the surface. The company claims to have one of the most advanced hatchery production systems for mussels anywhere in the world.

Tasmanian marine farmers have been growing mussels commercially for over 20 years but only recently has the production expanded to a level where Spring Bay blue mussels are now available year round and in significant quantity. Marine farming in Tasmania is managed and regulated by the Tasmanian Government and their Department of Primary Industries.

“Spring Bay Seafood's is delighted to be formally recognised as a Friend of the Sea and is only the second mussel company in the world to achieve this certification,” comments Phillip Lamb, managing director of Spring Bay Seafoods.