Few seafood sectors have scaled as rapidly as mussel aquaculture. Global production now exceeds two million tonnes annually. While China leads in total output, Chile has carved out a powerful position as the world’s foremost exporter.

Chile’s mussel farming sector was still a cottage industry in the early 1990s, but by 2021 it had reached an impressive 450,000 tonnes. Although there has been a significant decline since that peak, harvest volumes for 2025 are estimated at an impressive 320,000–330,000 tonnes, and the industry still generates 17,000 jobs, forming a key part in the coastal economy of the Los Lagos region, especially around the island of Chiloé.

This area benefits from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Humboldt Current, the presence of sheltered fjords, the lack of industrial pressure and the natural availability of mussel seed – perfect growing conditions for Chilean mussels (Mytilus chilensis), which are known locally as choritos.

The farming process

Unlike most forms of aquaculture, which rely on hatchery-reared juveniles, Chile’s mussel farming sector is built on the collection of wild juveniles, known as spat. These miniature molluscs settle on fine meshed nets set in specific areas, before being seeded onto ropes that are suspended from floating longlines for grow-out in different coastal zones. Close to 12,000 hectares of Chilean waters are currently designated for bivalve farming.

Although natural spat collection has worked well enough to fuel the huge growth of Chile’s mussel farming sector over the past 40 years, it also makes the industry vulnerable to climate variations and seed shortages, leading to calls to establish dedicated mussel hatcheries to help safeguard the sector. However, these hatcheries are still in their infancy.

During the grow-out process the mussels feed entirely on natural plankton, which they capture as they filter the seawater. The fact that no additional feed is required is part of the reason that mussels are seen as such a sustainable form of seafood. After 12 to 18 months the mussels reach approximately 14–20 grams apiece and are ready for harvest.

International appetite

As Chile exports over 90 percent of its mussels, only a tiny proportion are sold fresh. Instead, following harvest, the mussels are usually steamed or cooked and then separated into three main product forms – meats, half shell and whole shell. Within these categories the meats are graded between larger sizes (100/200 pieces per kg) to the smaller grades (500/800 pieces per kg). Individual quick freezing (IQF) is also becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to steaming or cooking.

Of this 90 percent, around half is destined for Europe – with France, Italy and Spain the main continental markets – while Asia and North America make up the two other key export destinations. Europe is likely to remain Chile’s core market, due to the popularity of the molluscs there and the gradual decline of the continent’s largest mussel producer, Spain.

Pittman Seafoods is one of the key suppliers to the EU market and carries out strict quality control protocols for its mussels in Chile through its own quality team via Omega C-Foods. Each batch is checked prior to departure for factors such as size grading and the absence of foreign objects, supported by detailed inspection reports and in person supplier visits.

Looking to the future

Global demand for mussels continues to grow – and currently outstrips supply – which has led to prices for Chilean mussels increasing by as much as 100 percent. And, given southern Chile’s vast coastline, there’s still huge potential for the sector to expand – at least from a geographical perspective. However, growth is currently limited by a number of factors – not only by the vagaries of spat settlement, but also the limited availability of new farming concessions, the stricter environmental regulations being enforced in the region and the increase in labour and production costs.

Should Chile seek to revitalise the sector, key prerequisites include the need to improve efficiency with more companies needing to adopt the cutting-edge techniques and technologies that have been developed in New Zealand’s greenshell mussel sector. Equally, stabilising spat supply, ensuring political support and increasing its domestic value-added processing prior to export are all vital.

Meanwhile, there’s also scope to grow the market, not least through emphasising the sustainability of the sector – after all, few seafoods can match mussels in terms of their low carbon footprint, lack of feed input, and their ability to improve water quality through their filter feeding process.

Indeed, around 20-25 percent of Chile’s production is Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified and growers report an especially high demand for their certified mussels, suggesting that this trend is set to continue. As Gilles Evrard (photo) from Pittman’s purchasing team reflects: “ASC mussel meat originates from farms that comply with strict requirements in terms of sustainability, environmental impact, and social responsibility. This includes controlled water quality, respect for the ecosystem, proper working conditions, and more. Because demand for ASC products continues to grow while supply remains more limited, we are currently still seeing shortages in the market.”

Conclusion

By combining natural advantages with industrial scale and an export-driven mindset, Chile has established itself as the global powerhouse of mussel export. And for importers, processors and retailers, Chilean mussel meat remains a reliable, sustainable and competitive raw material, with experts predicting the 2026 season to rebound to somewhere between 350,000 and 400,000 tonnes.

However, in order to safeguard its longer term future, the industry needs to become increasingly efficient, garner greater political support, and to help drive demand for this most sustainable of seafoods.