The vessel's commissioning in the UK was completed by Macduff Shipyards.
Macduff Ship Design
The two sister vessels, ‘Fruitful Harvest’ and ‘Fruitful Bough’ designed by Scottish Macduff Ship Design and ordered by Blueshell Mussels for mussel harvesting, have already begun operations around the Shetland Islands, in the north of Scotland.
The 20-meter vessels are also designed to operate with a low draft and air draft clearance. Additionally, they are equipped with bow and stern thrusters to ensure precise control at low speeds during harvesting operations.
Moreover, Thistle Group supplied four specialized double harvest davits on the starboard side and a marine crane. Finally, the vessels have ample space for the state-of-the-art harvesting system and the transportation of the harvested mussels.
Skagen Ship Consulting was responsible for the construction of the vessels in collaboration with the Etkin Marin shipyard in Turkey. Subsequently, the commissioning in the UK was completed by Macduff Shipyards.
"Macduff Ship Design is delighted to have been able to work with Blueshell Mussels, Skagen Ship Consulting and Etkin Marin on these projects, and looks forward to developing our relationship further with all partners," a statement reads.
UK supermarket retailer Waitrose reported in late February a growing consumer interest in mussels over the past year. According to the company, searches on its website for mussels are up 120% compared with the same time last year, while searches for mussel recipes on the site have increased by 20%.
Waitrose attributes this upsurge in consumer interest to the popularity of "French-inspired cuisine" and "eco-conscious eating", noting that social media trends on platforms like TikTok also indicate increasing popularity of the shellfish species.
