Visit by Cándido Rial Rodríguez to OPMEGA
OPMEGA HIGHLIGHTS THE VALUE OF INNOVATION AND THE NEED TO CONTINUE PROMOTING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF MUSSELS TO THE REGIONAL MINISTRY OF THE SEA
The board, headed by Ricardo Herbón, met this afternoon in Vilagarcía with the Director General of Aquaculture, Cándido Rial, to review the main issues of interest to the sector.
Vilagarcía de Arousa, 22 October 2025. The Galician Mussel Producers’ Organisation (Opmega) held a meeting with the Director General of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Technological Innovation of the Regional Ministry of the Sea, Cándido Rial, to analyse the current situation and the organisation’s projects, as well as to share the progress made by the entity.
During the meeting, the Opmega board, led by its president Ricardo Herbón, presented the work that the organisation is carrying out in the field of innovation and production improvement, especially through experimental projects based on the longline system, which are offering very positive results in terms of efficiency and sustainability.
In this regard, Herbón highlighted the organisation’s efforts to improve the collection of mexilla (mussel seed), a key process that seeks to reduce pressure on sandbanks and move towards a more balanced and environmentally friendly production model. The organisation invited the Director General to visit the work area to see first-hand the development of this seed fixation project.
During the meeting, the issues addressed by the PO in Brussels relating to tariffs and the situation of Galician mussels in the European market were also reviewed, with both parties agreeing on the importance of defending equal conditions with products from other countries and strengthening the position of Galician products in the EU.
Other matters of interest were also discussed, such as the upcoming elections to the Regulatory Council and the various initiatives that are helping to improve mussel management among PO members.
Opmega is the only Producer Organisation (PO) recognised in Galicia in the field of mussel production, and brings together 579 mussel rafts and 312 members, organised into 11 delegations distributed across the estuaries of Muros and Noia, Arousa, Pontevedra, Vigo and Portugal.