§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the locations in England where shellfish samples were taken for testing for paralytic shellfish poisoning; and what was the frequency of such sampling at these locations in 1991.
§ Mr. CurryFollowing is the reply:
Mussels
From April to August 1991, samples of mussels were taken from sites along the North east coast of England at Berwick, Holy Island, Budle Bay, Craster, Croquet, Cresswell, Blyth, Trow Rocks, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Redcar, Saltburn, Staithe Wyke, Whitby, Scalby Mills, Cornellian Bay, Filey, Flamborough and Bridlington.
Sites were sampled once a week. Frequency of testing was increased to twice weekly samples if certain levels of the PSP toxin were reached.
690WSamples of mussels were also taken, approximately monthly, at the Wash, Kings Lynn, Norfolk; Brancaster, Norfolk; Pandora Sands, Norfolk; Poole, Dorset; River Exe, South Devon; River Teign, South Devon; River Avon, South Devon and Heysham, Morecambe Bay.
Scallops
A small programme of scallop sampling on a research basis is carried out throughout the year. Also, from April to August, samples of scallops identified as those coming from the North east scallop fisheries were taken twice weekly from the main processing plants. If toxins reached certain levels, sampling was transferred to the major scallop ports at Seahouse and Amble on a twice weekly basis.
Queens
During July and August, when Queens were landed at ports along the North east coast at North Shields, Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington, samples were taken twice weekly.
Crabs and Whelks
If certain levels in mussels were exceeded in a two week period then crabs and whelks were sampled twice weekly at Berwick, Holy Island, Amble, Blyth, North Shields, Redcar, Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington.