Gyrodactylus Declaration
This declaration is based on the one devised by the River Tweed Commission for the River Tweed and their kind permission to use it for other rivers is gratefully acknowledged

 

Gyrodactylus salaris Declaration

 

Gyrodactylus salaris is an extremely dangerous parasite and we are taking the most careful steps to make sure it does not enter any Scottish fishery. As such, in conjunction with Local Salmon Fishery Boards, we are adopting rigorous biosecurity procedures, which we are sure you will support.

 

Please read the following very carefully:

 

What are the risks?

 

G. salaris has been shown to survive away from a live fish host for five-seven days at ambient river temperatures and for 78 hours and 42 hours at salinities of 10 ppt (parts per thousand) and 20 ppt, respectively. Risk is associated with movement of materials (animate and inanimate) that can carry low salinity water, which have recently been in contact with infected fish, and which have been kept in cool conditions sufficient to permit the temporary survival of the parasite away from live fish. Equipment or product that has been kept cool and damp and is transferred rapidly (within one week) may present high levels of risk.

 

This notorious parasite has destroyed the Salmon stocks of over 20 rivers in NORWAY. It was introduced to the Atlantic coast of Norway on Baltic Sea salmon taken to fish farms there. Baltic Salmon are immune to it, Atlantic Salmon are not � and tests have shown that Scottish Atlantic Salmon are destroyed by it just as easily as Norwegian.

 

It is also indigenous to, or has been spread to RUSSIA, FINLAND, SWEDEN, GERMANY, FRANCE, SPAIN and PORTUGAL, largely through fish-farm movements of Rainbow Trout.

 

It is a minute, external parasite, less than half a millimetre long and can live off fish, in the gravel, for a considerable time, making it (as yet) impossible to eradicate from any river. Desperate methods being used in Norway involve poisoning all the fish in a river and leaving it fallow for several months at least to try and break the cycle. No successes have yet been reported.

 

If this parasite gets into any river it means the absolute end of the Salmon in it.

 

 

As part of biosecurity measures
we require you, AND each of your rods, to sign ONE of the declarations below
and present it BEFORE YOU START FISHING to your Gillie:

 

 

 

 

 

 

D E C L A R A T I O N   B Y   A N G L E R

 

A: I declare that none of my fishing equipment has been outside the United Kingdom in the 3 months prior to the commencement of my fishing at ..................................... (insert beat name) on ................................................. (insert date).

 

 

Signed: ..................................................         Print Name: ........................................................

 

Fishing Tenant                                    

 

 

 

B: I declare that my fishing equipment has been used outside the United Kingdom in 3 the months prior to the commencement of my fishing at ..................................... (insert beat name) on ................................................. (insert date) and that it has been properly sterilised adopting one of the following methods (please tick one of the following):

 

Please tick

Method A: Drying to a minimum of 20 degrees for at least 2 days

 

Method B: Heating to above 60 degrees for at least one hour

 

Method C: Deep freezing for at least one day

 

Method D: Immersion of materials in a solution of, or addition of one of the following

chemicals to water to the concentration indicated for a minimum of 10 minutes

     Virkon 1%

 

     Wescodyne 1%

 

     Sodium chloride (common salt) 3%

 

     Sodium hydoxide 0.2%

 

 

NB The chemicals above may be available from agricultural chemical suppliers; the use of trade names is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply endorsement of any particular product; users should check that their use does not damage their equipment.

 

Signed: ..................................................         Print Name: ........................................................

 

Fishing Tenant

 

 

C: I declare that my fishing equipment has been used outside the United Kingdom in the 3 months prior to the commencement of my fishing at ..................................... (insert beat name) on ................................................. (insert date) and that it has NOT been sterilised. I agree that it will be sterilised by the fishery proprietors before I commence fishing and I understand that this may result in a delay to the start of my fishing.

 

Signed: ..................................................         Print Name: ........................................................

 

Fishing Tenant