- An infectious wasting disease is sweeping through Scottish
salmon farms, affecting seven out of 10 marine sites, according to the
latest official figures.
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- Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) can kill up to a
third of young fish, posing a huge economic threat to the Scottish industry.
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- A working group set up by the Scottish Executive, whose
conclusions have been circulated throughout the industry recently, has
reported clear evidence that IPN is increasing in seawater sites in most
regions.
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- The report concludes that little can be done until a
vaccine is available and that current movement restrictions on infected
fish farms are inadequate to control the disease.
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- Anglers and environmentalists say it is the latest example
of fish farming threatening to destroy wild stocks of salmon. It does not
affect humans.
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- The working group reported that prevalence rates the
proportion of tests giving a positive result for the virus had increased
from less than 50% in 2000 to 82% in 2002, the most recent figure.
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- Because infected farms may be tested several times, officials
say the figures mean that about 70% of marine farms probably contain the
virus.
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- Don Staniford, managing director of the Salmon Farm Protest
Group, said the epidemic was salmon farming's foot-and-mouth crisis.
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- He has compiled data on farms served with designated
area orders, which restrict movement of fish from diseased sites. Although
they do not specify the disease found, the vast majority of orders are
linked to IPN.
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- In all, movement restrictions have been placed on 446
farms in the past four years. So far this year, 22 notices have been published,
with the summer disease peak still to come.
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- "Infectious diseases are spreading like wildfire
throughout the Scottish salmon farming sector. Freshwater and marine farms
are acting as reservoirs for a host of deadly diseases," said Mr Staniford.
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- "Salmon farms are fouling not only their own nest
but disease-ridden escapees are also threatening wild fish populations
across Scotland sea trout, rainbow trout, Arctic charr, halibut, cod,
haddock, turbot as well as the endangered wild Atlantic salmon."
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- The threat has emerged five years after infectious salmon
anaemia, cost the industry an estimated £37m and 200 jobs.
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- Shetland is the worst affected area, with more than 90%
of sites affected.
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- Ron Stagg, vice-chairman of the working group, said:
"In sea water farms. the virus is pretty much ubiquitous."
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- Executive officials are due to meet later this month
to discuss their response to the report.
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- The widespread presence of the disease has caused alarm
among anglers, who already blame sea lice from fish farms for the huge
fall in wild salmon numbers.
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- Paul Young, actor, and broadcaster of the Hooked TV series,
said: "Everyone knows that fish farming threatens wild salmon but
it has reached the point where a handful of jobs in the fish farming community
are considered more important than jobs for gillies on rivers with sea
trout or salmon."
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