The industry says it has lost 37m because of ISA A new package of measures to help Scotland's devastated salmon farmers has been announced by the Scottish Executive. The industry, which says its lost 37m and 180 jobs since the outbreak of ISA, has been urging the Scottish Executive to provide further financial assistance. A pledge of 9m compensation had already been made, but salmon farmers wanted a review of measures designed to manage the outbreaks of the virus and more cash to help the industry recover from the disaster.
More work clearly needs to be done.
MAFF have agreed to carry out tests in wild fish south of the border. More intensive wild fish surveillance will be conducted in Scotland in the new year and further work on seeking to verify the possible presence of ISA in freshwater is being carried out by the Fisheries Research Services Agency in Aberdeen. We have carried out a comprehensive review of our current controls in the light of new circumstances. Central to that review has been the conviction, shared by the industry, that ISA is a pernicious disease and that everything possible should be done to prevent the disease and to stamp it out where it occurs. Infectious salmon anaemia or ISA causes internal bleeding and has devastated stocks in other countries.