§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consideration has been given to compensating those fish farmers who have suffered financially as a result of whirling disease;
(2) if he is now able to present a comprehensive report on whirling disease, as to the number of outbreaks, in the regions of the country affected, the total cleared and the number of restrictions which remain; what has been the estimated total cost to fish farmers; and if he will make a statement;
(3) when the first notifications of whirling disease were made known to him, and from which area.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerWhirling disease was first notified to my Department in March 1981 on two farms in the Thames water authority area. A total of 56 sites have subsequently been declared infected, of which seven have now had movement restrictions lifted. These outbreaks have occurred in all water authority areas. In addition, four sites in Wales and two in Scotland have been declared infected.
I have no means of estimating the total cost to fish farmers of the present outbreak. No powers are available to me to provide compensation for losses suffered as a result of whirling disease.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he has had any instances of whirling disease brought to his attention in which within the area concerned the disease has been sensibly controlled and managed without the necessity of destroying the fish fry and disinfecting the farm.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerI know of no specific instances but I understand that it is possible for some fish farmers to limit the economic losses from whirling disease by suitable husbandry practice depending on the nature of the site. However, the advantages for the individual fish farmer of a more relaxed policy towards movement restrictions have to be considered against the effects of such a policy on the fish farm industry as a whole and on angling interests.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what conclusions have been reached by his fish diseases laboratory on the transmission and treatment of whirling disease; and what advice he can now give to fish farmers to help them combat it.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI am advised that whirling disease is transmitted when infective agents released from dead fish decaying in ponds invade the cranial cartilage of young trout, possibly with a worm acting as an intermediate host. There is no known treatment for the disease.
My fish disease scientists will give advice both on disinfection procedures or changes in husbandry taking into account the individual characteristics of the site.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the fish farming committee of the National Farmers' Union has now reported to him on the methods used by his Department in dealing with whirling disease and their views on future policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerWe have received the views of the fish farming committee of the National Farmers Union regarding our present and future policy towards whirling disease, and my officials recently had a meeting with representatives of the committee to discuss its views. We have called for a report on our policies for dealing with the disease and shall take account of the representations made by the committee.