Hans J Marter

7 January, 2008

FISH FARMERS in Shetland should know within the next few weeks if a highly contagious salmon virus has been contained to the one infected site to the east of Hildasay, near Burra.

The Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) virus has been confirmed on one site and is suspected on two other sites. Just one of the three Scottish Sea Farms sites contains fish at present.

Four government scientists from the Fisheries Research Services (FRS), in Aberdeen, are now in the islands trying to establish the source of the infection.

They are carrying out tests on fish farms and fish processing factories to find out if the virus has spread.

The laboratory's director of animal health, Dr Bob Raynard, said last night (Tuesday) it could take up to six weeks until full test results are known with first indications expected by the end of next week.

Refuting criticism by Shetland MSP Tavish Scott, Dr Raynard said the FRS had acted immediately to the crisis and had imposed measures to prevent the spread of the virus as early as last Friday.

He was reacting to comments from Mr Scott who on Monday said he was unhappy with the time it took scientists to travel from Aberdeen to Shetland to start work in the isles.

Dr Raynard said: "As soon as the diagnosis had been made, controls were put in place. That largely contains the situation, as it restricts the movements of potentially infected material outside the Burra area.

"The situation was under control as of Friday even without inspectors being in Shetland."

There are a total of 42 fish farming sites within the control and surveillance zones of which 16 have fish in cages. The remaining 26 are either fallow or are presently not in operation.

Dr Raynard said his scientists yesterday (Tuesday) tested the fish on the suspected site and would carry out tests on all sites that are stocked during the rest of the week.

"There will be several tests being made on the samples, with some of the test could take up to six weeks, others take about a week. The results initially will be made available only to the fish farmers concerned," he said.

ISA is a disease caused by a virus that can only live in certain fish species. The virus was eradicated after the last outbreak in UK waters in 1998/99. Dr Raynard said the UK had been free of ISA ever since.

"Our concerns and priorities are to determine where the infection came from.

"Following the last outbreak, government and industry worked together to establish a code of practice to minimize the effects of ISA," he said.

Over the last few years there have been outbreaks of ISA in all major salmon producing countries such as Norway, Chile, Canada and Faroe.

"This is potentially a very damaging disease. It is capable of causing very high mortalities. Controlling and eradicating the disease is justified as it contributes to the sustainability of the industry," he said.

The last ISA outbreak in Scotland affected 123 sites off the northern and western isles, costing the industry an estimated £100 million and 200 jobs.