Jan. 13, 2014—Next time you tuck into a bowl of moules-frites, you might be playing into a federal plan to boost the economy, ensure safe and plentiful seafood and clean up the marine environment.
A new mussel-farming operation, approved last week by the California Coastal Commission, will be set up this spring in federal waters about 10 miles off Long Beach, marking the first time a shellfish ranch is established in U.S. coastal territory (typically they are closer to shore, within state territories). The Catalina Sea Ranch is expected to produce some 2.6 million pounds of mussels each year. Its owner, Philip Cruver, says the colder, deeper waters should be good for production, as the shellfish will grow more quickly and likely face fewer parasites than in slower-moving, warmer water. According to the Los Angeles Times, the company is eyeing rock scallops next.
The new 100-acre mussel farm plan is in keeping with NOAA's National Shellfish Initiative, passed in 2011. The U.S. reportedly has a "seafood deficit" of $10 billion a year.
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