1. Integrated Technical and Traditional Knowledge
Mussel production combines modern aquaculture techniques with the traditional knowledge of local fishermen. This integration facilitates the acceptance of the practice and its alignment with community routines.
Enabling factors: proximity to the sea and familiarity with tidal cycles. Lessons learned: valuing local knowledge increases engagement and the effectiveness of adopted practices.
2. Cultivation System with Longlines
Mussel farming in Machangulu involves several meticulous steps that require specific materials and aquaculture techniques. Long ropes, 50 meters long on which sachets with mussel seeds are hung, are prepared and are held fixed by a concrete weight to serve as an anchor on the seabed, a procedure that keeps the longlines stretched and where the signaling buoys are placed. This system keeps the mollusks submerged even during low tides and requires ongoing maintenance.
The main materials include nets, ropes better known as longlines, buoys, mussel seeds, hand tools and sea transport. The longlines, cotton nets are sewn in the form of sachets, where the mussel seeds are placed, with initial dimensions between 1 and 1.5 inches (small mussels). This system ensures that the mussels remain submerged in water, even during the lowest tides, during cycle lasts eight months.
Continuous technical training is essential to ensure good management practices and guarantee the quality of the final product;
The valorization of local knowledge contributes to greater community ownership of technology;
The absence of clear strategies for access to foreign markets still limits the growth and profitability of production.
