There are Greenshell™ mussel farms in Marlborough Sounds, Coromandel, Golden Bay and Stewart Island where the shellfish are grown on lines suspended from ropes above the seabed.

A green food source, New Zealand Greenshell™ mussels are often referenced as one of the best sustainable seafood options. As filter feeders they take all their nutrients from the seawater - nothing else is added. Every farm must operate in accordance with a resource consent that sets strict conditions determined and enforced by the local council. The consent is in effect a licence that tightly controls, among other things, the size of the farm, activities permitted and required monitoring. The Quota Management System does not apply to Greenshell™ mussels; it is instead governed by provisions within the Resource Management Act and the Aquaculture Act.

One of the world's most successfully farmed mussels, they are found only in New Zealand.

Harvested all year-round (after growing for between 14 and 18 months) farmed mussels are fatter and more tender than wild mussels.

Greenshell™ mussels are plump and richly flavoured. This versatile shellfish can be served hot or cold and cooked in a myriad of ways: bake, grill, sauté, barbeque, fry, curry, marinate, soup/chowder, smoke or steam.

One 100-gram serving of Greenshell™ mussels provides a quarter of an adult's daily protein needs and just under half the daily iodine they require.

Greenshell™ mussels are a good source of Iodine, VitaminB12, Selenium, Iron and Phosphorus; and a source of Magnesium, Zinc, VitaminC,Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Potassium, Niacin (vitamin B3) and Calcium.

Seafood is a highly nutritious food and is a great source of protein. Many species are low in saturated fat and a number of them are a good source of Omega 3.