Our native salmon are facing an uncertain future- but recreational water users including anglers can help protect them.
It is always thrilling to see a wild salmon leaping up weirs and
waterfalls as they return to their spawning grounds. But a parasite
spreading through Europe could destroy the population here.
The parasite (Gyrodactylus Salaris) is less than half a millimetre in
size and barely visible to the naked eye, but can cause severe damage to
salmon, and often results in the death of affected fish. It is now
widespread in Denmark Finland, Norway and Sweden, and has also been
found in France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.
Thankfully the parasite has not yet been found in the UK- but
experiments have shown that our salmon would be killed by it, so it is
really important that it is not introduced from Europe. It is possible
that even one parasite imported to a previously affected river could
cause an epidemic in a very short time.
The main thread is from imported diseased fish and controls are now in
place to minimise these risks. However, there is also a small risk that
watersports enthusiasts returning from European countries (Denmark,
Finland, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain) could
inadvertently carry the parasite back to this country.
The parasite can survive in wet or damp conditions for five to six days
on boats, equipment or clothing. Most affected are recreational water
users returning with their equipment, or European competitors entering
the UK for events, where they intend to re-use their equipment within a
week.
If you are returning with equipment used in rivers in the European
countries above you can help prevent importing the disease on nets,
reels, canoes, wetsuits, clothing and footwear by doing two simple
things:
• Thoroughly drying equipment for at least 48 hours. (Drying in sunlight in temperatures above 20 degrees centigrade). Or
• Disinfecting by immersing equipment in seawater or a salt solution
(sodium chloride concentration of 3% or more) for a minimum of ten
minutes can kill the parasite. All equipment should then be thoroughly
rinsed in tap water. Marine vessels returning from abroad do not pose a
risk as the parasite cannot survive in seawater but consideration should
be given to tenders or other equipment used in rivers.
Further information can be found here:
Department for Environment,
Food & Rural Affairs (Defra),
Aquaculture, Salmon, Freshwater Fisheries and Whaling,
Area 5E, 3-8 Whitehall place,
London,
SW1A 2HH
Tel: 02072 708826
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.defra.gov.uk