Due to climate change...an unprecedented mass die-off of oysters

2023-12-27 2023-12-27T10:53:59Z

Weather of Arabia - The Galicia region, which is considered the most important region in Europe as an exporting region for seafood, is witnessing a noticeable increase in the death rate of snails and oysters during the end-of-year holidays, which raises concern among about four thousand women who work in fishing for these marine creatures and depend on them as a source of livelihood.

Juana María Martinez expresses her sadness at the large number of mollusks found on the beaches of the town of Ilha de Arosa in northwestern Spain. Wearing gloves and carrying a shovel in her hand, she says:

“In 42 years of oyster fishing I have never seen such a difficult year.”

In this town with a population of 5,000 , which is located 50 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela, increasing cases of death are being recorded among local fisherwomen known as “Mariscadoras” , who earn their living from collecting seafood on the coast of this coastal region. The phenomenon has increased in recent weeks.

Carmen Soares, wearing a coat and carrying a white woolen hat, comments:

“The problem is the same throughout the region... The holiday season will be disastrous.” She uploads pictures of dead oysters to her mobile phone, showing the impact of the current situation.

The death of seafood threatens sand suppliers on the beaches of Galicia

On the windswept beach, dozens of women are busy digging up the sand with shovels, with the aim of extracting the precious seafood. This activity is part of their history, which they are accustomed to accomplishing, as they gather within cooperatives responsible for “organizing the collection process.”

According to these institutions, the rate of oyster mortality has ranged between 60 and 80% during recent weeks on some beaches and in some river mouths, which are the favorite place for snails, oysters and molluscs. The Spaniards greatly prefer these places, especially during the end-of-year holidays, and this mortality It threatens sand suppliers and hinders the continuity of this vital economic activity on the coasts of Galicia.

Declining water salinity and rising sea temperatures threaten oyster fishing in Galicia

The Galicia region is experiencing an abnormal decrease in water salinity, which is the main reason for the large die-off of oysters. This phenomenon is due to heavy rains in October and November in the region, and to an unusually high temperature of sea water after a year that witnessed many heat waves.

Sandra Amethaga (57 years old), who works in collecting seafood, points out that scientists indicate that rising air and water temperatures and pollution directly affect oysters, making them weaken and lose their strength over time.

This reality raises concern among those working in the sector, as about 4,000 people depend on this activity, and the spokesman for the Spanish Federation of Fishermen’s Associations shows that there are “tons of dead oysters,” with great variation in the dead numbers from one place to another. At the end of November, Alfonso Villares, responsible for maritime affairs in the regional government of Galicia, requested the declaration of a state of emergency in the areas affected by the wave of oyster deaths, considering this situation “very exceptional,” and committing to taking the necessary measures to help those working in this sector.