John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the person, with regard to the outbreak of the disease bonamia ostreae in Lough Swilly, who issued the order for official restrictions on movements within the Swilly; the way this order was communicated to relevant people (details supplied); the measures that have been put in place to ensure the bonamia outbreak is confined to the areas in which it was discovered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5227/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Department received notification from its scientific advisers, the Marine Institute, on October 27th 2006, of a possible positive test for Bonamia ostreae in Lough Swilly. Bonamia osteae is a disease which affects oysters, but consumption of oysters affected by the disease has no human health impacts. Following the Marine Institute notification, as a precautionary measure, it was decided that any applications made to move native oysters and other shellfish susceptible to Bonamia ostreae originating in Lough Swilly for on-growing in areas free of the disease would be refused.

When results of tests on samples forwarded to the Community Reference Laboratory, La Tremblade, France, confirmed the initial suspicion on 15 November 2006, this ban on movements of susceptible species from Lough Swilly to Bonamia free areas was made permanent. Lough Swilly was formally designated as a Non-Approved Zone for the parasite Bonamiaostreae.

On December 3rd 2006 the Department forwarded, by post, to operators in the Lough, Guidelines for the Management of Shellfish Operations in Lough Swilly. The objectives of these measures were to restrict the transmission and spread of the parasite Bonamia ostreae within the native oyster stocks in Lough Swilly and to prevent the transmission and spread of the parasite from native oyster stocks in Lough Swilly to other bonamia free areas. Incorporated within the Guidelines is the requirement that all fishing boats operating in Lough Swilly must be cleared of all shellfish and decks, holds, dredges and equipment must be cleaned with freshwater prior to their leaving the Lough, for a Bonamia free zone. However, the Guidelines do not affect the harvesting of molluscan shellfish from Lough Swilly for human consumption.

A further group of operators in the Swilly who were not included in the first circulation, were copied with the Guidelines, through their spokesperson, on 18 December 2006.

Statutory Instrument No. 614 which added Lough Swilly to Schedule 11 of the European Communities (Aquaculture Animals and Fish) (Placing on the Market and Control of Certain Diseases) Regulations 1966, S.I. 253 of 1996, was signed into law by Minister Dempsey on 11 December 2006.

While the presence of the parasite Bonamia ostreae has been confirmed within Lough Swilly, to date, no reports of actual mortalities in the oyster stock due to the parasite have been reported to the Department or to our scientific advisers.