Since ancient days, Galician coastal inhabitants ate the delicious mussels, which spontaneously grew in the cliffs and rocks bathed by the fertile waters of Atlantic Ocean.
By the middle of the last century, this nutritious mollusc started to be intensively cultivated in the Galician ‘rías’ (estuaries). In the beginning of the 20th century, the cultivation in underwater ropes had already been tested in some Mediterranean ports, like Barcelona and Tarragona.
In 1946, the first ‘bateas’ – this is how these floating platforms for mussel cultivation are called in Galicia – were placed in Vilagarcía de Arousa port. In 1947, the first six ‘bateas’ are anchored in Berbés (Vigo) inner harbour. Step by step, the ‘batea’ fleets extend over the occidental coast of Galicia: Cambados, O Grove, Moaña, Bueu, Redondela, A Pobra do Caramiñal… Today, there are more than 3000 ‘bateas’ producing 300.000 tonnes of mussels per year and employing almost 10.000 people.
But… dou you know how a ‘batea’ looks like? It is kind of amazing
In the picture, you can see the Ría de Vigo and each spot, each small square is a batea!
And this is how great a batea looks like underwater!
‘Batea’ in Aquarium Finisterrae. Credit: Esteban Vázquez-Fernández