Blue Mussel Fishing Curbed After Stocks Hit Historic Low

Blue mussel fishing in Denmark's Limfjord will face a sharp new limit after the stock fell to what authorities describe as a historic low.

For the fishing season running from Sept. 1, 2026, to 2027, vessels may take no more than 4,000 tonnes of mussels from the fjord in western Jutland. Environment Minister Maria Reumert Gjerding introduced the quota following a recommendation from DTU Aqua.

DTU Aqua's report put the Limfjord's blue mussel stock at 62,000 tonnes in 2026. That is roughly 95% lower than 29 years ago, when the stock exceeded 1.2 million tonnes. The stock has remained below 600,000 tonnes since 2016.

The institute said the 4,000-tonne limit would allow fishing to continue on a sustainable basis. Gjerding said the fjord is in poor ecological condition and that the historically low mussel population made a quota necessary to protect it.

“

The Limfjord is in poor ecological condition and the mussel stock is historically low. Therefore, the only right thing to do is to set a quota for blue mussels to protect the stock.