Alarm bells for salmon farms as disease detected

Published on Sunday 4 January 2009 21:04

A DISEASE that can damage salmon stocks has been found at a fish farm, it was revealed yesterday.

An occurrence of infectious salmon anaemia (Isa) has been confirmed at one salmon farm and is also suspected at two further sites in the Burra area, west of Shetland.

The farm where Isa has been confirmed has been empty of fish since 21 December, while one of the other two sites has been empty for six weeks.

The Scottish Government has set up a national disease control centre and is taking action to control the spread of Isa – which does not affect humans but can cause serious damage to stocks of farmed Atlantic salmon in seawater.

Mike Russell, the environment minister, has spoken to the company involved as well as other salmon farming interests.

He said: "While this disease is serious, much was learned from the successfully contained outbreak in 1998-9. We will be applying those lessons vigorously with the clear aim of containing and then eradicating the disease from the current affected site, which in fact is now laying fallow."

A control zone and a wider surveillance zone have been established, with movement restrictions put in place.

A team of fish health inspectors is being sent to Shetland to investigate the affected sites and advise salmon farming firms there on how to operate under the control restrictions.

Investigations into the source and potential spread of the disease will be carried out.

Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland, said he was "dismayed" a farm in waters there had a confirmed case of Isa.