Pete Bevington

27 January, 2009

SCOTTISH environment minister Michael Russell is to set up an independent review into the recent outbreak of a highly infectious disease at a Shetland salmon farm, which he blamed on poor industry practice.

Mr Russell made the announcement during a visit to the islands yesterday (Monday) to look into the outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) earlier this month.

Government scientists discovered ISA at a site owned by Scottish Seafarms, east of Hildasay, near the village of Scalloway, when investigating high mortalities from the sea lice parasite.

The government immediately set up a National Disease Control Centre banning all movements between fish farms in a 2.8km radius, which contained 42 salmon cages.

No further instance of the disease has been discovered during a series of checks by Fisheries Research Service scientists and many of the sites have now been emptied of fish.

The last ISA outbreak was 10 years ago when it caused massive problems throughout the northern and western isles, costing around 200 jobs and about £100 million.

Prior to a meeting with the Shetland salmon industry yesterday, Mr Russell was clear that the industry had to improve its standards of husbandry.

He said: “We have a code of good practice and quite frankly if they had followed it to the letter we wouldn’t have this problem. They need to realise their practice must improve.”

He said the ISA problem appeared to have been contained, and if that was the case the next step was to eradicate it. The entire incident would then be thoroughly investigated by a review panel which he intended to appoint shortly.

“We will undertake a full independent assessment of the outbreak and how it came about and I hope it will show us some lessons for the future,” he said.

Commenting on reports of high levels of mortality from sea lice in the area, he said: “One of the lessons of ISA is it tends to occur when the fish are weakened following other diseases and by practices which quite frankly don’t conform to best practice.

“If that’s the case in this instance then I think that will come out in the independent review, but companies need to take responsibility. They need to make sure future practices are good and if their practices are anywhere less than good they need to improve those rapidly.”

Mr Russell also met with Shetland Islands Council to discuss the impact this year’s Marine Bill was likely to have on the way the islands’ aquaculture industry operates.