An outbreak of oyster herpes poses no threat to the Whitstable Oyster festival, experts and organisers agreed.
There had been fears that a containment area restricting the introduction and movement of Pacific rock oysters across the Thames estuary and north Kent coast would affect supplies during the week that Whitstable commences its annual oyster festival.
Kevin Denham, head of the Centre of Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) the fish health inspectorate, said: “The restrictions affect the farming and aquaculture of oysters so oysters bought by members of the public to eat at home don’t fall under the controls. There is only one business affected by the controls which moves live oysters from the area.”
John Hawkins, arts and events officer for the council, added: “There is one bed in the farm that has limitations on it. The festival was absolutely packed out this weekend and that particular virus had no impact on it at all.”
Fish health inspectors from Cefas visited Seasalter Shellfish farm in Whitstable last week following reports of high levels of mortality in one of their oyster beds.
Samples taken from the site were confirmed as positive for herpesvirus, completely harmless for humans but devastating to oysters.
Mr Denham said: “We are testing other samples from the area. There are no other suspected cases for the moment but we are required to inspect sites which have come into contact with the bay area. Controls will remain in place until there is no threat from the infected area but the mortality event is still ongoing on the farm.”
While the festival does rely heavily on rock oysters it is very unlikely that infected oysters would survive long enough to be sold alive as oysters must be.
Mr Denham said: “The issue is more to do with the viability of the business; the problem for the farmer is that he has lost between 60 and 80 per cent of his stock, juvenile oysters ongoing for two to three years before they’re harvestable and were he to introduce more stock the probability is that they would become infected too.
Seasalter Shellfish managing director John Bayes said the outbreak was yet another blow to an industry that is already suffering.
He added: “The fact the oysters are dying is very serious indeed because there’s already a massive mortality rate among them and a shortage worldwide.”
POSTED: 29/07/2010 08:00:00
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