Shetland’s rope-grown mussels have thinner shells and a higher meat content than mussels from the sea bed.

Some 81 per cent of Scotland’s farmed mussels are produced is Shetland. The industry is worth around £6.3 million to the local economy and has been built on its outstanding reputation for quality, with more than 6,800 tonnes produced annually.

The industry employs around 100 people at 133 active shellfish sites in Shetland.

Co-operation is key for shellfish farmers, they depend upon clean water and work with other users of the marine environment, public bodies and the wider communities to protect and sustain this resource and, at the same time, minimise visual impact on the landscape by working hard to maintain clean, safe and orderly sites.

Achieving full MSC accreditation underpins Shetland’s shellfish growers’commitment to sustainability, which they can, in turn, demonstrate to their customers.