§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Veterinary Products Committee regarding the review of the licence for Aquaguard for use on salmon farms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI hope to make a statement shortly.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has measured the quantity of antibiotics released into the marine environment as treatment for diseases of farmed fish; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerAll veterinary medicines including antibiotics used for treating fish diseases are assessed for safety, quality and efficacy under the Medicines Act before a licence is issued. Any likely impact on the marine environment is taken into account by independent scientific experts on the Veterinary Products Committee as part of that assessment process. When a licence for such a product is due to expire, evidence of environmental impact is carefully assessed before any decision is made to renew the licence. Antibiotics used for treating fish disease are available only on prescription from a veterinary surgeon.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research has been conducted by him into antibiotic residues in farmed salmon; and when and where the results will be published.
§ Mr. GummerSurveillance for antibiotic residues in farmed salmon is in progress and the results will be published in the food surveillance paper series once the work has been completed. It would be premature at this stage to make a statement.