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News just in:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) officials have issued an order prohibiting the movement of fish to and from the Brewster and Suez canals on the Browning Cudmore complex at Whitmore following an outbreak of a contagious viral disease in carp.
The outbreak of Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) was confirmed on Friday at the 14 water development - but fishing will continue on one of the infected canals.
Although having no implications for human health, SVC is a serious viral disease which can kill carp as well as a variety of other species including goldfish, tench, pike and wells catfish.
The order was issued on Friday after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of SVC, a notifiable disease under the Diseases of Fish Act 1937, and before the order can be lifted the site must test negative for SVC for three consecutive years.
However, for match anglers visiting Cudmore, it is business as usual on the 60 peg Suez canal (Brewsters is closed), and contests have been fished over the weekend (see results).
Speaking on the decision to allow fishing on the infected water, Cudmore's Cyril Brewster told Sentinel Angling: "We are open as usual, as DEFRA cannot shut us down, only recommend we ask anglers to dip their nets into disinfectant solutions we are providing on site."
Asked how he had found SVC was prevalent in the Suez and Brewster canals, Brewster said: "I was not happy with initial results carried out by another agency and so called DEFRA in to find out why fish were dying. It transpires SVC is the problem - as it is on most fisheries in the country. The difference is we notified the authorities, whereas most don't."
Insisting continued fishing will not create further problems, Brewster added: "I am not going to take the moral high ground on whether or not fishing would go ahead.
"Legally, we are allowed to let people fish on the principle of dipping nets in disinfectant before and after a match - not that we can enforce it. Therefore, we are trading as usual and will be consulting with our insurers over the loss of fish stocks and their replacements."
More reports in the Maggot Times
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) officials have issued an order prohibiting the movement of fish to and from the Brewster and Suez canals on the Browning Cudmore complex at Whitmore following an outbreak of a contagious viral disease in carp.
The outbreak of Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) was confirmed on Friday at the 14 water development - but fishing will continue on one of the infected canals.
Although having no implications for human health, SVC is a serious viral disease which can kill carp as well as a variety of other species including goldfish, tench, pike and wells catfish.
The order was issued on Friday after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of SVC, a notifiable disease under the Diseases of Fish Act 1937, and before the order can be lifted the site must test negative for SVC for three consecutive years.
However, for match anglers visiting Cudmore, it is business as usual on the 60 peg Suez canal (Brewsters is closed), and contests have been fished over the weekend (see results).
Speaking on the decision to allow fishing on the infected water, Cudmore's Cyril Brewster told Sentinel Angling: "We are open as usual, as DEFRA cannot shut us down, only recommend we ask anglers to dip their nets into disinfectant solutions we are providing on site."
Asked how he had found SVC was prevalent in the Suez and Brewster canals, Brewster said: "I was not happy with initial results carried out by another agency and so called DEFRA in to find out why fish were dying. It transpires SVC is the problem - as it is on most fisheries in the country. The difference is we notified the authorities, whereas most don't."
Insisting continued fishing will not create further problems, Brewster added: "I am not going to take the moral high ground on whether or not fishing would go ahead.
"Legally, we are allowed to let people fish on the principle of dipping nets in disinfectant before and after a match - not that we can enforce it. Therefore, we are trading as usual and will be consulting with our insurers over the loss of fish stocks and their replacements."
More reports in the Maggot Times