Seafood Expo Global Barcelona
Planas y Villaverde se reúnen con Opmega en Seafood mientras la organización presenta un estudio del CSIC que cuantifica los beneficios ambientales de las bateas
- Planas y Villaverde departieron con la junta directiva de la organización gallega durante su recorrido por la feria
- Investigadores del IIM-CSIC e INXENIA presentaron los resultados de un trabajo que cuantifica por primera vez los beneficios ambientales del cultivo en batea
Barcelona, 22 April 2026.– The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, and the Regional Minister for the Sea of the Xunta de Galicia, Marta Villaverde, visited Opmega’s stand today at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, where they spoke with members of the board of directors of the mussel producers’ organisation, led by its president, Ricardo Herbón. During the meetings, Opmega’s board conveyed the sector’s main concerns to both institutional representatives and briefed them on the projects the organisation is developing as part of its operational plan.
The president of Opmega welcomed the presence of the two authorities responsible for fisheries as a show of support for the mussel industry.
‘The fact that the minister and the regional minister are visiting our stand has significance that goes beyond mere protocol. We need decision-makers, both in Madrid and in Santiago, to see first-hand the reality of our sector and what it contributes to Galicia and to Spain as a whole,’ said Herbón.
On the same day, the Opmega stand hosted the presentation of the study “Mussel farming: a sustainable activity. Assessment of the ecosystem services provided by Opmega’s mussel farming”, a paper authored by researcher X. Antón Á. Salgado, from the CSIC’s Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), and consultant Ana Vila, from INXENIA, with the collaboration of J. Severino P. Ibánhez and Nicolás Villacieros Robineau, also from the IIM-CSIC. The project forms part of the organisation’s operational plan and is co-funded by the European Union.
The study is the first to comprehensively quantify the benefits that mussel rafts generate beyond food production, analysing four categories of ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural. Among its conclusions, the study documents the mussel’s capacity as a sustainable source of protein with a carbon footprint far lower than that of other animal sources, the value of the shell as a usable resource in sectors such as agriculture or construction, and the contribution of mussel rafts to the water quality of the estuaries through filtration and nutrient retention. The report also analyses the role of shells as an alkaline reserve against ocean acidification, the protective effect of mussel rafts on the coastline, and their impact on tourism and the cultural identity of the Rías Baixas.
‘We have been arguing for years that mussel rafts not only produce mussels, but also help to protect the estuaries. Now we have science on our side. This study gives us the tools to ensure that the authorities recognise the sector’s contribution to the environment and the economy of our regions,’ said Herbón.
The institutional visits and the presentation of the study took place at the revamped stand that Opmega has unveiled at this year’s Seafood Barcelona, a larger space than in previous years and equipped with several meeting areas, ready to host the most ambitious programme of events organised to date by the organisation at the leading trade fair for the fishing and aquaculture sector.
About Opmega
Opmega is Spain’s leading mussel producers’ organisation, operating across national borders, and has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food since 1986.