Als PDF herunterladen - Robbe & Berking

Muschelfarmer
Cameron MacLean an
seinem Arbeitsplatz //
Mussel farmer
Cameron MacLean
at work
52
SOmE DAYS SEEm TO HAVE BEEN mADE BY A SAI-
LING CREATOR. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and
freshly scrubbed. A mild easterly wafts across the islands off
the Scottish coast. The water in the sounds and lochs is like a
painter’s dramatic composition: petrol blue, yellow and silver.
The light dances on the ripples.
We are sailing on a Lion Class sloop, designed by Arthur
Robb and built in 1964 in Hong Kong. It is 36 feet long and
made entirely from teak. Friendly winds take us along the Isle
of Mull, green pastures slip by and waves crash against steep
cliffs. To starboard is a bleak and meagre land, where more cormorants
and puffins brood than people live. The chart soon
shows a symbol that distracts us from the water. As we enter
the bay of Loch Spelve, the Admiralty chart shows small fish
framed by a small fence. Yachts, the pilot book says, should
navigate with care and keep well clear of the little boxes.
But wait! The small symbols on the chart seem to promise
fantastic temptations. It is here that oyster beds, mussel farms
and lobster grounds lie – the breeding grounds of wonderful
culinary delights! The local fishing boats return in the evenings,
full to the gunwales with pecten scallops, spiny lobsters,
sea snails, common sole and many more delicacies that
would instantly whet the appetite.
Not everybody knows that West Scotland is a paradise
for crustaceans, crabs of all descriptions, and many species of
scallops and shellfish. These small animals of the sea live here
in large numbers and Scottish »fruits de mer« are said to be
of an excellent quality.
Buoys and canisters sit on the water at the northern end
of Loch Spelve. As we come nearer, we can see dozens of ropes
disappearing into the depths. Hundreds, if not thousands of
these peg ropes hang ten metres deep, and it is on these specially
knit structures that the mussels live in their millions.
Cameron MacLean comes out to us in his working boat. He
is the manager of the mussel farm here on Loch Spelve and
he is not here to shoo us away. »We have three moorings for
yachts,« he calls out to us. »Over there, next to the pontoon.
You are welcome to stay for free!«
As soon as we are ashore, we see a box containing icecooled
plastic bags, each of which holds five kilos of fresh
mussels for the price of seven euros. Just pick a bag and put
the money into an old coffee tin. Shopping as we know it, for
example, also from Danish farms. But here we are buying marine
delicacies instead of potatoes or apples.
The mussels are delicious, freshly cooked on board in wine
and garlic sauce. Little wonder, as they have probably travelled
only 200 metres to come from sea to mouth! This distance,
from origin to stomach, instantly becomes the benchmark
for all things to come – much more important than the miles
logged when sailing. By the almighty god of seafood, in the
next couple of days, we will be able to beat this freshness index
of 200 metres by far!
In the evening we meet Douglas Wilson, a pioneer of the
Scottish seafood market and, together with other fishermen,
founder of the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group. He owns
the mussel farm but also catches lobster and has just commissioned
a boat in the Shetlands to supply the big salmon farms
with food. Yes, top-quality salmon also features on our list of
Scottish delicacies. »The sea here is cold throughout the year
and the tides bring in masses of plankton,« explains Wilson.
»Fish and shellfish just love that.« Furthermore, the west
coast is only sparsely inhabited, so the water is still clean and
largely untouched. Reasons enough for the outstanding quality
of Scottish seafood.
NEARLY 90 PER CENT OF SEAFOOD FROm HERE IS
ExPORTED to Spain, France and Germany. Lobsters and
oysters are sent to the best restaurants in London and Paris.
Scotland ranks among the market leaders for seafood. Even
a large portion of the oysters served in France today actually
originate from Scotland. It is a business worth millions.