Warmer Mediterranean threatens Spain's mussel farms

• Spanish heatwave kills mussels in Ebro Delta farms
• Former "black goldmine" wrecked by heat, farmer says
• Shellfish producers seek solutions in deeper, cooler waters

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A decade ago, Cabrera harvested some 10,000 tonnes of mussels each season. But for the past few years, production has tumbled to around 1,500 tonnes.

Spain is the main mussel-producing country in the European Union and the third globally after China and Chile. Mussels, which make up more than a third of EU aquaculture, are a delicacy in dishes ranging from paella to moules frites.

EU mussel production peaked in the late 1990s at more than 600,000 tonnes a year, but economic and environmental factors — including climate change — have cut output. In 2020, production was down to 431,000 tonnes.

Cabrera's father built the farm in 1982 and he now runs it with his brother Rubén. But Cabrera is unsure if the family business will survive even though his son Dídac, 20, studied aquaculture and has been working on the farm for the past five years.

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