SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Daily Telegraph] by Claire Carter โ May 21, 2014 โ MUSSEL and oyster farms in estuaries could disappear in the future, industry experts believe as many are being banned from farming because of pollution being washed into waterways.
High concentrations of Eโcoli have led to a ban on mussel farming in parts of Cornwall this week, after the Food Standards Agency downgraded the water quality of two sites in the River Fal, as well as nine other sites across the country.
Industry experts believe the entire shellfish industry could be under threat. They said farms growing oysters and mussels are likely to disappear from Britain's estuaries in future as wet weather continues to wash more sewage into waterways, destroying the water quality.
"Every time it rains, all mussel farmers in estuaries cross their fingers and hope they will not be tested that day," said Gary Rawle, director of Westcountry Mussels.
"If environmental health turns up on the day it rains, they will almost certainly fail the test."
In recent weeks the FSA has downgraded 11 beds โ including two in the Fal โ because of high levels of Eโcoli.
"There's certainly been an increase in mussel farming bans," said Mr Rawle. "Nearly every mussel farm in the country is at risk of closure."
Mr Rawle said while mussels are being affected at the moment, oysters are likely to be threatened in future because they are based in the same waterways, but take up bacteria less quickly.
"If mussels are in it, oysters are in it," he added. "I think we will get a decline in mussel supplies as more estuaries close.
"I certainly think estuaryโbased farms will disappear across the UK in the future. All the estuaries are going to get polluted and all the estuaries are struggling to keep their grade."
Mr Rawle said he would have had to lay off staff if he had not moved his farm from the River Fal. He now operates two miles out in the sea.
Duchy Oyster Farms owned by Ben Wright โ a founder of the seafood restaurant company the Wright Brothers โ has been banned from harvesting mussels from its farm near Falmouth.
MrWright said he would have to assess whether it could survive. "It's a massive problem. It effectively can close the business down," he said.
A spokesman for the FSA said: "If levels of contamination exceed the required criteria for each classification category, the FSA will take action to protect public health."
Areas in Norfolk, Devon, and in the London Port Health Authority district were also recently downgraded.
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.