Stage One in the New Zealand Greenshell™ Mussel-farming cycle is seeding nursery lines with spat, held in place with a continuous tubular cotton stocking which biodegrades when no longer needed.  After three to six months, the nursery lines are lifted and the young mussels removed then seeded at a sparser rate onto a thicker and much longer rope, where they remain until harvest.

Aotearoa Seafoods Ltd is collecting an increasing amount of its own spat locally for reliability of supply.  The bulk though is sourced from the beaches of Kaitaia, in New Zealand's far north and nearby Golden Bay, in the South Island.

Depending on site and the number of mussels growing per metre of rope, the cycle from seed to harvest takes 12 to 18 months for 90-120 mm mussels.

Code of Practice

Aotearoa Seafoods Ltd has adopted the NZ Mussel Industry Council's Environmental Code of Practice, aimed at reducing the effects of marine farming on the environment.  Independent "undercover" auditors recently confirmed that our contracting and harvesting vessels complied fully with all requirements of the code of practice.