Why have Menai Strait shellfish exports collapsed?

Brexit regulations imposed new sanitary and phytosanitary controls, making exports to the EU costly and complex.

Can the Menai Strait mussel industry recover?

A recent UK-EU trade deal aims to reduce trade barriers, offering hope for the industry's revival.

What are 'class B' waters for shellfish?

'Class B' waters indicate acceptable E. coli levels, but require mussels to be purified before EU export.

Home / Business and Economy / Brexit's Shadow: Menai Strait Mussels Face Export Collapse

Brexit's Shadow: Menai Strait Mussels Face Export Collapse

27 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Shellfish exports from Menai Strait to EU have collapsed post-Brexit.
Mussel production dropped from 10,000 tonnes to five tonnes annually.
A UK-EU trade deal may offer hope for reviving the industry.

Brexit's Shadow: Menai Strait Mussels Face Export Collapse

Shellfish exports from the Menai Strait, once a thriving industry, have collapsed due to Brexit regulations. Production plummeted from 10,000 tonnes to a mere five tonnes annually, with the region's sole remaining dredging boat now serving only the UK market.

This downturn is attributed to new EU rules on imports of live bivalve molluscs from non-EU countries, including health checks and paperwork. Mussels from the Menai Strait's 'class B' waters required costly purification, reducing their market appeal and shelf life.

However, a recent UK-EU trade deal offers potential relief by aiming to remove these sanitary and phytosanitary controls. An Irish company's investment in a local purification plant and the upcoming trade agreement have instilled hope for the industry's revival.