How brown mussels sustain livelihoods along Thiruvananthapuram’s coast

A few minutes before nine in the morning, colourful catamarans streaked with blue, green and crimson glide into Vizhinjam fishing harbour, nearly 16 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram city. Powered by motors or wooden oars, they carry wicker baskets piled with brown-shelled mussels, still speckled with dirt and barnacles. As the boats reach the shore, the fisherfolk get to work.

Two labourers carry each overflowing basket to the centre of the market, where the day’s catch is auctioned. Within seconds, bidding begins, with one lot eventually fetching ₹15,000. Along Thiruvananthapuram’s rocky coast, mussel harvesting peaks between September and February. Fishers collect the shellfish between 6am and 10am, diving underwater with broad metal knives to pry them off rocks.

Depending on the location, they either head out in boats or dive straight into the sea from the rocks. Babu Sukumaran, 61, has been diving for mussels since he was 15. He emerges with a cloth sack of mussels tied around his waist. Up close, his body is covered in bleeding cuts. “Our bodies have many wounds. But these don’t hurt me, and they dry up quickly in the saline water,” he says.

According to Jasmine K, president of the Diving Workers Welfare Society, more than 280 people harvest and trade brown mussels in Vizhinjam alone. Divers also collect them from Kovalam, Azhimala, Poonthura and Muthalappozhi, among other coastal areas. But the work depends on the sea’s temperament. “Our job depends on how peaceful or turbulent the sea is. When the waves are high, we can’t go in,” says Balu Kovalam, a veteran diver with 20 years of experience.

He earns ₹2,000 daily collecting the shellfish. Where is the best seafood in Thiruvananthapuram? Where is the best seafood in Thiruvananthapuram? Restaurants on Vizhinjam Harbour Road are making waves for dishing up the best seafood in town Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram has become the city’s seafood hub storyline 1 North vs South “In Keralam, two types of mussels are found — green and brown,” says MK Anil, principal scientist at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) unit in Vizhinjam.

Brown mussels (Perna indica or Perna perna) occur along the coast from Kollam district to Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu, while green mussels (Perna viridis) are found elsewhere. In Kannur, Kozhikode and Kasaragod, green mussels are cultivated in lakes because they can tolerate low-salinity water. “However, due to the rise in the construction of sea walls, we are witnessing a rise in green mussels in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam,” says Anil, who has researched mussels for over a decade.

The two varieties also differ in texture: brown mussels are soft and fleshy, while green mussels are firmer. CMFRI supplies five lakh green mussel seeds to fisherfolk and tribal communities in Maharashtra CMFRI supplies five lakh green mussel seeds to fisherfolk and tribal communities in Maharashtra The initiative was aimed at translating marine fisheries research into livelihood opportunities by promoting sustainable bivalve farming along the Maharashtra coast, says CMFRI Director Grinson George CMFRI supplies five lakh green mussel seeds to fisherfolk and tribal communities in Maharashtra storyline 1 In Thiruvananthapuram, mussels have been largely a part of the coastal diet.

“Mussels steamed with sweet potatoes is a delicacy. They are also fried, roasted and made into thoran,” says Jasmine. In northern Keralam, where mussels are known as kadukka, they are extremely popular. One local favourite is arikadukka, a snack made by stuffing the shells with spiced rice-and-coconut dough and steaming them. feature A food lover’s guide to Kozhikode Rising popularity and sustainability Anil says more people have begun including mussels in their diets in recent years, driving up prices.

Mohammed Rafi, who has sourced, cleaned and supplied mussels to restaurants and individuals in the city for nine years, says roadside vendors are the biggest buyers at auctions, followed by seafood restaurants. Nirmala, 59, buys three baskets of mussels for ₹12,500, which she plans to sell at Mangalathukonam market. “I sell 100 pieces for ₹1,000 or ₹1,200. We have people across ages purchasing it for that price,” she says.

Salim S, owner of Al-Monte’s restaurant at Vizhinjam, says, “The popularity of the ingredient has increased significantly due to social media hype. Currently, mussels fry and roast, priced at ₹250 and ₹300, respectively, are the popular choices. If customers specifically ask for a different preparation, we do it as requested. In Vizhinjam, mussels have been a household delicacy for a long time.

But with the rise in demand, prices have also increased. The rain is another factor which affects its availability and price.” How restaurateurs in Thiruvananthapuram keep marine delicacies in the menu despite skyrocketing prices of fish How restaurateurs in Thiruvananthapuram keep marine delicacies in the menu despite skyrocketing prices of fish Fearing that cranking up rates or slicing the menu may ward off customers, many are either waiting for the situation to blow over or making minor tweaks to keep the demand-supply balance feature How restaurateurs in Thiruvananthapuram keep marine delicacies in the menu despite skyrocketing prices of fish Fishermen ready nets According to Anil, mussel farming can be more profitable than rearing prawns or fish because mussels feed on phytoplankton — microscopic organisms that drift in water — and other organic matter, requiring little supervision.

Recently, the ICAR-CMFR unit at Vizhinjam launched its first full-fledged open-sea mussel longline farming unit. “Our objective is two-fold: to produce more seeds and extend the cultivation into the sea. This farming method is practised in Europe and Australia, where mussels take two years to grow fully. Ours mature in six to eight months, because of the tropical temperatures. Earlier, we had tested a unit in Kanyakumari, which withstoo…