Anglers warned of threat to fisheries
Anglers
are being warned about the dangers of a parasite that could seriously
damage salmon, trout and other freshwater fish called Gyrodactylus salaries
(GS).
The move by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) centres on the parasite that infects the skin, gills and fins
of the fish and, though barely visible to the naked eye, can nonetheless
cause serious damage.
Thankfully, it is said that GS has no impact on human health.
Richard Cowan, head of Defra’s aquaculture, salmon and freshwater
fisheries division, said: “If the GS parasite was to be introduced
into UK waters, entire river systems could quickly become infected, resulting
in the decimation of valuable freshwater stocks of fish, both in the wild
and in aquaculture.”
It is possible that the parasite could be brought into the UK on fishing
equipment or clothing.
It is vital that anglers who have been fishing abroad are warned of the
dangers of possibly introducing GS into the UK and reminded of the precautions
they should take to ensure that their fishing equipment is properly disinfected
and not contaminated.
To get the essential points across, Defra has produced a leaflet and poster
on GS, which describes the parasite and the effects of the disease.
Most important, the leaflet gives practical advice on the steps that individuals
can take to prevent its introduction into the UK.
Copies of the leaflet and posters are being sent to major ports, travel
agents (specialising in fishing holidays abroad) leading tackle shops,
rod licence holders and angling clubs.
Here’s a run-down on Gyrodactylus Salaries:
They can be found on large numbers of fresh and saline fish species, but
their favourable host is the Atlantic salmon.
They can be up to 2mm in length and are commonly located on the skin and
in gill chambers but more rarely in the mouth and body cavities.
They use hook attachments to grip the epidermis while feeding on the skin
and gill tissue; this causes only superficial damage.More
importantly they can cause epidermal ulceration after heavy feeding in
numerous quantities, and this can cause major damage.
So, should we worry? Well, I would never wish to witness here the extreme
measures reportedly taken by a Norwegian fishery back in 1997 - where
approximately 500 salmon, 4,000 sea trout, and at least 100,000 salmon
smolts were killed.
That was when 350 litres of the poison Rotenone was deliberately poured
into the famous Laerdal River.
Norwegian authorities carried out the poison action to get rid of this
fish-killing parasite which was found in the river the previous autumn.
It would take an estimated five years for the river to rebuild itself,
and in that time no fishing was allowed whatsoever.
I contacted Jan Gunnar Furuly, a journalist from Norway who said the parasite
was not wiped out by the Rotenone treatment - it is still in the river.
A new, full-scale test to add aluminium to the water is going to take
place in the near future as lab tests show good results.
These tests gave an interesting report that aluminium seemed to have no
toxic effect on the fish though all parasites were eliminated.
The GS parasites seem vulnerable to aluminium at levels not considered
to be toxic to fish so, if we are unfortunate to have GS infect our rivers
for whatever reason, we shall hopefully have some form of protection without
the need of 1997 measures.
Still, best be vigilant, eh?
Notice Board
Child
protection and first aid workshops. Joint Angling Governing Bodies (JAGB)
child protection and first aid workshops are at Sandhill Lake Adventure
Base, Worksop on Sunday 7th March.
The workshops are available to any member of the general public who is
involved in working with children or vulnerable adults (for example, coaches
or youth club leaders).
For further information, or application forms, please contact Glyn Williams
on 01909 501030
Angling Course.
Ken Stevenson’s angling course is continuing at the Gateford, Worksop on Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm.
Worksop United are
holding a permit holders match tomorrow, Saturday 7th February.
The draw is taking place 9am at Bracebridge, fishing will be from 10am
to 3pm and fees are £5 all-in.
They are asking all members who have yet to pay their subscriptions, to
do so by 29th February or risk being omitted from the club.
Round-up
Sherwood Forest Farm’s
open match on Holmedale Lake last Sunday saw Sid Whitehouse (Universal
tackle) victorious with 6lb 15oz from peg 14.
He fished pole and maggot for a mixed net of roach and skimmers and with
a bonus 2lb carp.
He just edged out John Lilliman (Geordie Maggot) with 6lb 14oz from peg
34, who fished pole and pinkie for an all roach net, the biggest being
8oz.
They were followed by Norman Powers (Notts AA) 4lb 12ozs, peg 30, Keith
Holland (Universal Tackle) 4lb 10oz, peg 32, Neil Wilkinson (Geordie Maggot)
3lb 7oz, peg 17 and Jim Potter (Rivendell AC) 3lb 4oz, peg 10.
In last Wednesday’s afternoon match at Holmedale, the match was abandoned
after two hours because of the blizzard conditions, but fortune shone
on local Dave Madin (peg 39) who managed to catch a single roach and scoop
the pools.
The club are to host a match every Wednesday.
The draw is at 10am, fishing is from 11am to 4pm. Price is £12 all-in,
including a £300 golden peg prize.
If you require any further information, call 01623 842617 or 07721 316334.
If you
want to get in contact with Martin to give him any results, stories or
information, you can e-mail him at martintrona@aol.com
