Within Work Package 4 on spatial planning in Aquabest, one task is to identify suitable local sites for mussel farming in the Kalmar region. During previous autumn, the project performed a pilot GIS-study in order to search and validate the quality of available geographic information. After this study we could conclude that the geographic resolution for many parameters were too low in order to find the best localities for mussel farms. Therefore the project has decided to do a GIS-study for excluding all sites where mussel farming is not possible to perform.
At the same time the project will involve the public by
arranging a "competition of honor" with respect to find the sites
where most mussel larvae settle. Ten sample farms have been bought
and will now be delivered to the local fishermen at the Hasselö
island in the Tjust archipelago (Västerviks municipality). The
fishermen will put the sampling farms at localities where they by
experience in fishing believe they will find a lot of mussels. The
"competition" is performed together with Scientists at the Royal
Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry who will thereafter
analyze the result and also judge whether the method is possible to
use at a larger scale. If so, a similar competition will be
conducted in the whole region in order to give a full geographical
coverage. In addition, this second year will also facilitate a
study on yearly variation since the fishermen at Hasselö will be
invited to participate also this year.
The sampling farms will be set into the sea around 19th of May
and retrieved at the end of September. Hopefully we can then
present a functioning method of involving the public as well as
measuring the settling rate at different localities.
Further information:
Jens Andersson
WP 4 leader
jens.andersson(at)regionjamtland.se
Regional Council of Jämtland
www.regionjamtland.se
