Rock wall ‘seeded’ with 20 tonnes of Byssal mussels in Cockburn Sound pilot project

As part of a new pilot project, 20 tonnes of Byssal grown mussels have been transferred onto a nearby Cockburn Sound rock wall to explore opportunities to extend the farm’s environmental impact.

Working in partnership with Fremantle Ports and Development WA, around 770,000 mussels were removed from the farm’s growing lines and redistributed onto a rock wall at the Australian Marine Complex Common User Facility in Henderson.

Once attached, the mussels are expected to create a thriving habitat and food source for fish, squid and crabs, extending the ecological benefits already being delivered by Byssal’s mussel farm. The mussels will also play an important biofiltration role, filtering over 73 litres of sea water per mussel each day.

Check out this great video from Fremantle Ports to see how the process works.

Recfishwest is proud to support the project as one of Byssal’s four founding partners, backing a practical, science-based solution that strengthens fish habitat and helps secure better fishing in Cockburn Sound.

The long-term vision is to scale up the mussel farm and restore marine habitat on a much larger scale, boosting fish productivity and helping underpin great fishing in one of Western Australia’s most important recreational fishing locations.

Find out more about Recfishwest’s involvement in the Byssal initiative in the video below.