Leading academic calls for border controls to protect Scottish oysters from new plague

Bonamia ostreae

The Scottish Government’s latest release on the health status of fish and shellfish diseases in Scotland is most impressive with only one out of sixteen possible infections not declared free:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-status-of-fish-and-shellfish-diseases-in-scotland/

Bonamie ostrae, in oysters, is present in four areas:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-status-of-fish-and-shellfish-diseases-in-scotland/

TuSC Fish Correspondent, Professor Alex Salmon and his Research Assistant Nicola Sturgeon [16] have investigated the infestation and traced it back to mass outbreaks in 2012, in England.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Confirmed-designations-for-Bonamia-ostreae-in-the-UK-on-31-December-2012-The-figure_fig3_264248260

According to Salmon, Tory cuts to fish inspection in 2010 allowed the infestation to spread quickly from the south doubling the number of cases by 2020. The only solution, he argues, is a huge net right across the Irish and North seas.

3 thoughts on “Leading academic calls for border controls to protect Scottish oysters from new plague

  1. One happy outcome of the lockdown and the difficulties in exporting to Europe is that we are getting an excellent range of prime Scottish seafood in our local fishmonger on Great Western Road. A lot of the produce is usually snapped up by the more expensive restaurants (now all closed) or is exported, mainly to Spain, which has been in extensive lockdown. So, we are able to dine 7 days a week on the treasures of the Sea!

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