17 November, 2006

A SPECIALIST workshop for mussel farmers to help them collect, identify and count mussel larvae is coming to Shetland.

The mussel training course, jointly delivered by the Seafish Industry Authority/Irish Sea Fisheries Board (BIM), has already been held successfully in south west England, the west coast of Scotland and in Northern Ireland.

The workshop will be delivered by Dr Susan Steele of BIM and Martin Syvret on behalf of Seafish in the NAFC Marine Centre, in Scalloway, on 23 and 24 November.

Seafood Shetland Ruth Henderson said: "For some time now, research and development in our industry has been high on our shellfish growers' agenda in order to ensure its continued development.

"There has already been an extremely high uptake by our members interested in attending the workshop in order to identify the best time to place spat collectors in the sea and keen to hear Dr Steele's overview of Irish experiences in rope-mussel culture and recent BIM trials in collecting seed on collection ropes placed on the sea bed."