I am writing with regards to your recent article Mussel Farm Fears in the March 18 edition of the Exmouth Journal.

I am writing with regards to your recent article "Mussel Farm Fears" in the March 18 edition of the Exmouth Journal. I am particularly anxious that your readers will be left with the impression that deep-water mussel cultivation is akin to "factory farming" and will have adverse environmental impacts.

The term "factory farming" is generally associated with battery hens and other livestock intensively reared in unnatural conditions.

Rope-grown mussel cultivation, whether offshore or estuarine, is nothing like this; wild mussel spat settle naturally on the ropes, filters food from the water and grows to marketable size until harvested.

No chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, additives or feed are added. In fact, rope-grown mussels are so environmentally benign they have been called "the most sustainable source of Omega 3 oils".

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide any further information.

Dr Tom Pickerell

Director,

Shellfish Association

of Great Britain.