Longline mussel culture raises welfare questions about attachment, desiccation during aerial exposure, and handling during harvest as sentience evidence grows.
Mussel welfare assessment requires applying precautionary principles given unresolved sentience questions. Aerial exposure during harvest causes desiccation stress, the severity depending on duration and temperature. Mechanical harvesting using rotating drums causes physical trauma to shells. Transport and depuration involves periods of unfavourable water quality. Whether these experiences involve suffering in the morally relevant sense remains uncertain. Welfare-minimising approaches include minimising harvest aerial exposure, gentle mechanical handling, and maintaining water quality during depuration. The environmental benefits of mussel culture must also be considered alongside welfare uncertainties.