Black Sea Mussel Farmers Adapt to Rising Temperatures

Strategic Insights -

In the face of rising Black Sea temperatures, Bulgarian mussel farmer Nayden Stanev has had to adjust his methods, shifting his seeding schedule and harvesting at cooler depths. Despite this, Stanev sees climate change as both a threat and an opportunity for his business. The warmer waters are a challenge to Black Sea mussel farmers, with up to 80% of mussels dying off in previous years. Stanev notes that "about 20 percent of the mussels didn't survive" this year, while last year was a "massacre" with 80% wiped out.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bulgaria's mussel farmers have taken the lead in the Black Sea, with the country's production surpassing those in other Black Sea countries.
  • The Black Sea is less affected by marine heat waves, which have led to a sharp decline in Europe's mussel crop.
  • Climate change is making marine heatwaves more frequent and powerful, with the Mediterranean region warming faster than the global average.
  • In the Black Sea, the surface temperature has risen by nearly two degrees in two years, according to Radoslava Bekova from the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
  • The black buoys in the mussel farm in Cape Kaliakra are designed to protect the mussel nets from strong currents.
  • The value of mussels in the EU has increased almost 50% in four years, from approximately 312 million euros in 2018 to roughly 463 million euros in 2023.
  • Nayden Stanev's mussel farm has been operating for over 20 years in the bay of Cape Kaliakra, with a prime location protected from currents.
  • The crew of six employees works in synchronised gestures to harvest and deliver the mussels.
  • The peak mussel season occurs at the end of August for Bulgarian mussel farmers like Stanev.

Statistics:

  • The average surface temperature of the Mediterranean Sea in July 2023 was 26.79C, the hottest ever for that month (Source: Mercator Ocean International).
  • The average surface temperature in the Black Sea in July 2023 was 25.46C (Source: Radoslava Bekova, Institute of Oceanology).
  • The surface temperature in the Black Sea has risen by nearly two degrees in two years (Source: Radoslava Bekova, Institute of Oceanology).
  • 80% of mussels died off in the Black Sea due to heat waves in previous years (Source: Nayden Stanev, mussel farmer).
  • About 20% of the mussels didn't survive in Stanev's farm this year (Source: Nayden Stanev, mussel farmer).
  • The EU mussel production declined by 21% between 2018 and 2023, from approximately 446,300 tonnes to 356,500 tonnes (Source: EUMOFA).
  • The value of mussels in the EU increased by almost 50% between 2018 and 2023, from approximately 312 million euros to roughly 463 million euros (Source: EUMOFA).

Sources:

  • AFP
  • Mercator Ocean International
  • Radoslava Bekova, Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • John Theodorou, expert at the University of Patras in Greece
  • Nayden Stanev, mussel farmer
  • European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA)