Killer threat to oyster industry

Monday 13th July 2009, 3:01PM BST.

Mr Legg said that the full effects on production will not be known until 2011 when mortality rates stabilise. Picture by Christian Keenan

ABOUT half of the Island’s oyster stocks are being killed off by a mystery disease that threatens the future of the industry.

The disease is a major blow to oyster farmers already reeling from the effects of beds contaminated by norovirus and e-coli.

Up to 80 per cent of juvenile oysters in some Island farms are dying and in France, many producers have lost everything.

The body that represents local oyster producers says that the Island is now being hit by the mystery killer that initially swept through France last year, but spared Jersey.

Oyster farmer Tony Legg, of the Jersey Aquaculture Association, said that most of the mortality in Jersey was in juvenile stock, but not all, with percentages varying between zero and 80 per cent.

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1
CP

July 13, 2009 at 4:29 pm

The oyster population will eventually recover from disease. However, if the new incinerator does pollute the sea, the industry will surely fail.

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2
Keith

July 14, 2009 at 6:53 am

Oyster flu?

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3
Nick

July 15, 2009 at 4:07 pm

If our politicians had got behind a scheme such as developing Plemont holiday camp as a marine studies university and ecological centre of learning, we would by now have local laboratories and resident experts who could get behind this local industry to find a cure. Then we could have sold the answer to the French and anybody else whose marine industry is effected!
That’s economic diversification.
Just thought I’d mention it!

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