In 2021, the Belgian retail group Colruyt started building the first innovative sea farm in the Belgian North Sea where a sustainable quality product is now being farmed: hanging mussels.
Traditionally, most of the mussels which we buy in stores in Belgium, or eat at restaurants, come from Zeeland in the Netherlands. But that is gradually changing. In the Westdiep zone, some 5 km off the coast of Oostduinkerke, conditions appeared optimal for investing in aquaculture. Rope webs were placed under the surface of the water to which the mussel larvae attach themselves. These then grow into baby mussels one or two centimetres in length. After 1.5 years, the large amount of plankton and other nutrients produces a nice full-fleshed mussel with a creamy light salty taste.
Hanging culture offers numerous advantages over soil culture. For example, the mussels mature twice as fast, it encourages biodiversity in and around the cultivation zone because the mussel lines serve as shelter for fish and a variety of other marine life, and it does not damage the bottom when harvesting.
The demand for balanced and locally produced mussels and other marine protein sources is on the rise. The retail group also sees potential for farms growing seaweed and oysters.
