Fish Stocks Under Threat Due To Virus

A rare virus which has struck only once before in the UK has killed 50,000 rainbow trout and is seriously threatening stocks of the fish.

The outbreak, which has been traced to a farm in the Yorkshire Dales, has led to movement restrictions being placed on more than 30 other premises along the river Ouse, in an area stretching from the Pennines to the coast near Scarborough and Bridlington, east Yorkshire.

As yet the virus, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS), has been confined to the single farm on the river Ouse but stock movement restrictions have been placed on 33 fish farms while the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) carries out tests on nearby farms.

According to information from the California Academy of Science, Aquatic Biology, more than 70% of the world's fish stocks are overfished, depleted, or worse—extinct—as a food resource.

Since there are inextricable links between animal and human health and the state of our environment, anything that affects the mortality of fish must be taken very seriously for further study and action.

Over the years we have seen that unregulated or irresponsible fish farming has led to depletion of stocks in some parts of the world. There are concerns also arising from pollution due to chemicals and waste dumped by human activities. These will have an impact on the environment and human life.