About SeaBounty Mussels

Sea Bounty mussels are ‘cultured’ in deep water on ropes suspended from the surface. This eliminates the possibility of sand entering the shells.

The species of mussel used in Sea Bounty’s operation is Mytilus galioprovincialus, commonly known as the Australian Blue Mussel and is the most popular in the world due to its sweet and tender nature. The female meat is orange in colour, while the male is a white/cream colour.

The mussels spawn between July and October which can sometimes cause the meats to be smaller during this period. This spawning leads to settlement of juvenile mussels (referred to as spat) onto specially prepared ropes that Sea Bounty strategically place around Port Phillip Bay in Government approved zones.

These ropes give rise to millions of tiny mussels (spat) that we “sock” onto growing ropes in the summer.

Socking is the method we use for placing mussels on a rope at the correct density for grow-out.Within 6 months of socking the fastest growing mussels are ready for harvest. Harvesting is carried out by Sea Bounty’s fleet of fishing vessels, which haul the ropes aboard using specially designed gear.

The mature mussels are stripped from the ropes, before being passed through a declumping/washing/polishing process. They are then graded for size and hand-sorted to remove any broken shells.

Mussels are high in protein, low in fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for maintaining a healthy heart.
Mussels are filter feeders that strain phytoplankton from the water.

You can distinguish between males and females by their colour. Male mussels are pale white or cream in colour while the females are orange

At SeaBounty, quality is assured

The fresh, succulent and tender qualities of Sea Bounty product result from the deep waters in which they grow and the fast growing cycle that allows them to be harvested between 9 and 18 months of age.

Sea Bounty mussels are farmed within designated aquaculture fisheries reserves that are regularly monitored to ensure public health and safety standards. Production is also subject to The Victorian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (VSQAP).

VSQAP
Consumers, government and industry demand that mussels and all other bivalve shellfish, are safe for human consumption. In order to address this need Fisheries Victoria has developed the Victorian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (VSQAP) based upon national and international guidelines. This program has been running for over 16 years and is regarded as the best in Australia.

The program addresses a range of health and safety issues involving growing, harvesting and holding of bivalve shellfish. Government and industry fund this program and regularly update the procedures and guidelines based on local, state, national and international information.

This high degree of management through the VSQAP has resulted in the granting from the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) of export approval for mussels produced in Victorian waters.

In addition to maintaining the health and safety standards for mussels the VSQAP through its monitoring program acts as a sentinel for water quality for the wider community.

Sea Bounty also has HACCP and organic certification.

HACCP Certification

NAASA Organic Certification # 3583P

Primesafe Aquaculture Licence # Q00175

Primesafe Retailers Licence # R00197