9.3.4 Case Study: Mussel Farming Off the English Coast;
One Farmer’s Experience
9.3.4.1 Introduction
The following case study describes the practical procedures and requirements
experienced in order to obtain the various permits and leases needed to establish a
large scale, suspended culture mussel farm off the coast of South Devon, England.
It should be noted that the experience described is specific to shellfish aquaculture and it only relates to the legal framework in place in England during the
application period of 2008–2010. Legislation has been modified since that date
although the general procedure is still broadly similar.
The procedures for licensing finfish aquaculture in the UK have significant
differences to those for shellfish. Aquaculture licensing within the 12 mile limit is a
devolved matter in the UK and there are fundamental differences in procedures
between the separate administrations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
The license and lease requirements described here were those relevant to suspended culture mussel farming and differ from those that would be needed for
seabed cultivation of mussels or other shellfish.
9.3.4.2 Description of Farm
Permission was granted in 2010 for a suspended culture mussel farm that will cover
a total area of 1540 ha of Lyme Bay off the coast of South Devon, England. The
farm will be divided into 3 separate areas; two of 600 ha and one of 340 ha. All
three of the areas lie between 3.5 and 9 km from the adjacent coast.
The exposure of the farm areas to open sea conditions varies, with the distance to
the nearest shore being 3.5 km to the North, 300 km to the South East and 7000 km
to the South West. The depth of water varies gradually between 20 and 28 m. The
seabed is generally mud and shell.
The farm equipment specified in the permit and lease application consisted of
790 longlines spread evenly between the 3 areas. Each longline will be individually
moored to the seabed at each end and measure 250 m from mooring to mooring
with 150 m of each headline used to support culture ropes. The longlines will be
moored using helical screw anchors with the headline supported 2–3 m below the
surface using vertical spar shaped floats. The culture ropes will be the continuous
looped New Zealand system with loops hanging up to 9 m below the headline.
The corners of each area will be marked by a yellow special mark navigation
buoy topped with a St Andrews cross and a yellow flashing light visible at 2 miles.
Construction of the bulk of the farm will take 3–4 years and is being preceded
by the operation of two small but commercial scale trial areas of 4 ha, each of which
were established in 2013.
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J.S. Corbin et al.
One Farmer’s Experience
9.3.4.1 Introduction
The following case study describes the practical procedures and requirements
experienced in order to obtain the various permits and leases needed to establish a
large scale, suspended culture mussel farm off the coast of South Devon, England.
It should be noted that the experience described is specific to shellfish aquaculture and it only relates to the legal framework in place in England during the
application period of 2008–2010. Legislation has been modified since that date
although the general procedure is still broadly similar.
The procedures for licensing finfish aquaculture in the UK have significant
differences to those for shellfish. Aquaculture licensing within the 12 mile limit is a
devolved matter in the UK and there are fundamental differences in procedures
between the separate administrations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
The license and lease requirements described here were those relevant to suspended culture mussel farming and differ from those that would be needed for
seabed cultivation of mussels or other shellfish.
9.3.4.2 Description of Farm
Permission was granted in 2010 for a suspended culture mussel farm that will cover
a total area of 1540 ha of Lyme Bay off the coast of South Devon, England. The
farm will be divided into 3 separate areas; two of 600 ha and one of 340 ha. All
three of the areas lie between 3.5 and 9 km from the adjacent coast.
The exposure of the farm areas to open sea conditions varies, with the distance to
the nearest shore being 3.5 km to the North, 300 km to the South East and 7000 km
to the South West. The depth of water varies gradually between 20 and 28 m. The
seabed is generally mud and shell.
The farm equipment specified in the permit and lease application consisted of
790 longlines spread evenly between the 3 areas. Each longline will be individually
moored to the seabed at each end and measure 250 m from mooring to mooring
with 150 m of each headline used to support culture ropes. The longlines will be
moored using helical screw anchors with the headline supported 2–3 m below the
surface using vertical spar shaped floats. The culture ropes will be the continuous
looped New Zealand system with loops hanging up to 9 m below the headline.
The corners of each area will be marked by a yellow special mark navigation
buoy topped with a St Andrews cross and a yellow flashing light visible at 2 miles.
Construction of the bulk of the farm will take 3–4 years and is being preceded
by the operation of two small but commercial scale trial areas of 4 ha, each of which
were established in 2013.
216
J.S. Corbin et al.