"Rising sea temperatures are killing mussels in Spain's Ebro delta and shellfish output is also suffering from Greece to Canada".
"EBRO DELTA, Spain - Mussel farmer Xavier Cabrera held out a handful of dry, dead mussels from his shellfish farm on the coast of the Ebro Delta, 100 miles (160 km) south of Barcelona. "Let's hope this isn't our future," he said ruefully.
A summer heatwave in the Mediterranean region killed off about 80% of the seed mussels - the tiny young that were going to be next year's harvest - and the little that was left of this year's production.
Together with his son Dídac, Cabrera, 47, was removing the empty shells from 1,500 ropes dangling in the water where healthy mussels — which take about 14 months to reach commercial size — would normally grow."
Natalie Donback and Naomi Mihara report for Thomson Reuters Foundation September 29, 2023.
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