§ 2.52 p.m.
§ LORD RATHCAVANMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there has been any extension of the salmon disease which originated last spring in certain rivers in the South of Ireland; and whether any further progress has been made in investigating the causes and treatment of this disease.]
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, salmon disease of the type present in the Irish Republic is occurring in three rivers in Northern Ireland, but otherwise the disease has not spread materially in Ireland since the early summer, and in the Irish Republic its incidence seems to have declined.
288 An outbreak of disease in Cumberland, which has affected salmon and sea trout is being investigated, and its nature has not yet been determined. Several outbreaks in England this summer of disease in coarse fish were identified as columnaris disease, but although the symptoms bore similarity to those of the Irish disease, they were generally less lethal in their effect.
Scientific investigation into the cause of the disease is proceeding here and in Ireland. It now seems possible that the disease is being caused by a combination of disease organisms rather than by the columnaris organism acting by itself.
§ LORD RATHCAVANMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask him this? I take it that this disease has not yet spread to Scotland. Is he aware that there is a theory that there is a greater danger of infection about this time of the year, when the water in the river gets cold? Is there any truth in that assumption?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, my information is that the disease has not yet spread to Scotland, and I sincerely hope that it will not. On the other point, I have no information, but I will certainly put the point to the scientists employed by the Ministry and I will write to the noble Lord.