§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fish farms are still subject to whirling disease; when he is likely to announce that no farm is any longer subject to a notifiable disease order in respect of whirling disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorForty four sites in Great Britain remain subject to infected area orders because of whirling disease. I cannot speculate as to when it might be possible for me to announce that no farm is any longer subject to such orders.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect his policy of lifting controls of the movement of fish and eggs from designated sites which are subject to whirling disease will have on supplies for the still water lakes, especially in time for the trout fishing season; what guidance he intends to give to potential purchasers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorIt has been my policy and that of my predecessor since January 1983 to approve, subject to the consent of the appropriate water authority, the movement of live fish from fish farms which are subject to controls because of whirling disease to angling waters, including stillwater lakes. The lifting of movement controls as from 27 February this year is therefore unlikely to have any effect on supplies for stillwater lakes.
My advice to purchasers of live fish for restocking is to remind them that under some conditions the presence of whirling disease can have a detrimental effect on the development, and therefore the profitability, of stocks of rainbow trout. All such purchasers would be strongly advised not to buy fish suffering from clinical symptoms of whirling disease. In particular, fish farmers operating with earthponds who intend to use those ponds to hold fish smaller than 10cm would be advised not to buy fish from a site where whirling disease is present.