Nowadays, mussels are produced by aquaculture throughout the Mediterranean and on the Atlantic coastline. There are no shellfish farms in the Maltese Islands so mussels and other shellfish are imported.
Since mussels are farmed on a large scale and imported, they are readily available throughout the year, both fresh and frozen.
Mussels are filter feeders, which means that they feed on microscopic organisms such as plankton that they filter out of flowing water. An adult mussel can filter up to 40 litres of water per day to obtain its food!
Mussels are generally farmed and imported to Malta. Since mussels are filter-feeders, they do not depend on fish-meal which is a positive aspect to this farming method but fish for tomorrow still recommend you Eat in Moderation due to the environmental implications of importation.
