Food sectors
Shellfish
A guide to producing mussels, oysters and other bivalves
Updated 9 May 2024
Becoming a producer
Now that you have established your shellfish farm, you need to set up essential registrations, insurance, and other administration before you can run an official business.
Membership
Membership of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG) or the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) is recommended to stay up to date with latest news and training in the sector.
Good practice
The ASSG code of practice for Scottish bivalve shellfish cultivation is compulsory for all members. You should also read and follow Seafish’s Good manufacturing practice guidelines workbook for bivalve production.
Insurance
Getting a general liability insurance will cover other people getting injured because of your operations or produce. You can also get specialist aquaculture insurance to cover stock mortality, insure your boat, and you may consider income protection/personal accident insurances. Longline Environment has an introduction into aquaculture insurance.
Setting up your business
If you earn more than £1,000 per year from aquaculture, you need to register as a sole trader, or set up a business partnership or a limited company. You will also need to pay income tax on your profits and keep records. You might also want to draft a business plan to keep track of your accounts – this guide by the Landworkers’ Alliance is a good starting point.
Registering as a food business
To sell shellfish you need to register as a food business at least 28 days before you start trading and get your premises inspected. This is free, and you can do it via your local authority. You can find more information on the Food Standards Scotland website here.
Food safety
A Level 2 food hygiene certificate is recommended for being compliant with food safety regulations and can be achieved online. Developing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is not mandatory for shellfish farmers but can be good practice in managing food safety. You should follow Seafish’s Good manufacturing practice guidelines workbook.
Find out more:
- The Food Standards Agency’s MyHACCP is a useful free tool.
- Food Hygiene Training Courses, Seafish
Biosecurity Measures Plan
Before starting production, you need to develop a biosecurity measures plan (BMP) and get it approved by the Fish Health Inspectorate. A BMP will include details such as how you will assess stock mortalities, inspect disease, and comply to biosecurity standards around moving shellfish.
Read the Scottish Government’s guidance on the minimum information required in an BMP.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has more information and templates for BMPs.
You should review your BMP regularly and have it available for inspection.