Climate change: Fisherman stops farming mussels due to hot weather

Hot weather has an impact on mussel beds, Shaun Krijnen said

A fisherman from north Wales has said he has stopped farming mussels due to rising temperatures.

Shaun Krijnen, who owns Menai Oysters, on Anglesey, said hot weather had seen mussel shells ruined on the beach and the number of baby mussels reduced.

Mr Krijnen, who has farmed mussels for more than 20 years, said he lost £40,000 in 2019, with mussel shells effectively cooked on the beach.

He said: "My decision to stop mussel farming has not been taken lightly.

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"Mussel production is reliant on the availability of baby mussels that are harvested and subsequently re-laid to grow on for two years.

"Unfortunately, two years ago there was virtually no seed mussel anywhere to be sourced, consequently this year there is no adult mussel."

Mussels usually grow in large beds like this one

The mussel bank Mr Krijnen farms on has been recorded on maps back to the 1700s, but no longer has any shells at all, he added.

"I have, for the last five or six years, been losing mussels to hot weather.

"As mussels are much weaker when they've spawned they are less able to tolerate the wide fluctuations in temperature between tide in and tide out conditions.

"The other side of this is the fact that oysters now take a whole year less to grow to market size on average than they did when I first started in 1994. Who says climate change isn't real?"

A 'tragedy' for wales

Mr Krijnen added: "Finally is the fact that Welsh government have failed to renew any shellfish lease in Wales since taking over responsibility for fisheries in 2010.

"My own application has been with the Welsh government for nearly 11 years now and no progress has been made during this time.

The tidal strength of the Menai Strait typically makes it an ideal place for fish and shellfish

The Welsh government said: "The area Mr Krijnen cultivates was included as part of an application for a proposed Menai Strait (West) Mussel & Oyster Fishery Order.

"However, this encountered delays due to the proposed use of Pacific oysters, an invasive non-native species."

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