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and can cause mortality in wild and aquaculture salmon," the agency said. The draft plan states that 7700 salmon will be collected for sampling and nearly 20,000 tests will be undertaken on the fi sh. Salmon will be captured on spawning grounds, taken from federal fi sh hatcheries, caught at sea and collected at fi sh farms and from commercial fi shing boats and processing plants. The surveillance strategy, which also involves the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and provincial authorities, was developed following reports that three laboratories had returned positive results for the ISA virus in samples of British Columbia salmon. However, none of the positive tests could be repeated in follow-up studies, leaving offi cials unsure if the virus had been discovered or not, and raising international concerns about the disease-free status enjoyed by BC-farmed and wild salmon. "The objectives of the surveillance are to determine the absence or presence of the three diseases and to support international trade negotiations by making a disease- free declaration that would stand up to international scrutiny," the agency said. The plan was expected to be in place early this year. CONTROL OPTIONS FOR NOROVIRUS IN EU OYSTERS Methods currently used to remove norovirus in shellfi sh should be improved, says a European food safety panel. They were not effective in reducing contamination, the European Food Safety Authority's panel on biological hazards said on January 23. Measures to reduce norovirus in oysters should focus on preventing initial contamination of production areas rather than attempting to remove the virus from contaminated food. The most effective public health measures to protect consumers from exposure to norovirus in oysters were to produce oysters in areas which are not contaminated or to prevent contamination of mollusc production areas. The panel recommended establishing acceptable limits for the presence of virus in oysters harvested and placed on the market in the European Union. In addition, an EU-wide baseline survey on norovirus in oysters should be carried out to provide information on overall consumer exposure, as well as the public health impact of control measures. The highly infectious virus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in Europe and often causes diarrhoea and vomiting. It is transmitted by consuming food or water contaminated with faecal matter or, more often, through person-to-person contact or contact with infected surfaces. Bivalve molluscs such as oysters and scallops Mussels, $221 (million) Other seafood exports $509 Rock lobster, $213 are a well-documented source of infection as they can accumulate and concentrate virus particles. Oysters contaminated with norovirus pose a particular risk, as they are often consumed raw. The level of virus detected in oysters linked to human cases varied greatly and was frequently detected in oysters in Europe which complied with existing standards for bivalve molluscs. The assessment looked at the use of the PCR method already applied to other shellfi sh for the detection and quantifi cation of norovirus in oysters, the possibility of defi ning a level at which the presence of the virus in oysters would be unlikely to pose a risk to consumers, and possible post-harvest control options. suitable for detection and quantifi cation of norovirus in oysters, The panel said the PCR method was provided appropriate quality assurance measures were implemented. Risk managers should consider establishing an acceptable limit for norovirus in oysters intended to be harvested and sold within the EU. In addition, scientists recommend carrying out an EU-wide baseline survey on norovirus contamination in oysters in order to estimate overall consumer exposure. Such a survey would also provide information that could be used to evaluate the public health impact of control measures put in place over time. VIRUS FORCES FACTORY TO CLOSE A herpes virus in oysters has forced Sanford's oyster processing factory at Kaeo to close. Sanford's managing director, Eric Barratt, says 15 permanent positions and 51 seasonal workers will probably have to go. Employees were told of the plans on December 5. The decision was simply a refl ection of not having enough oysters to process as a result of deaths from the OsHV-1 virus, which has decimated young oysters the company was growing for harvest in the next two years, Barratt said. The company is actively seeking alternative employment prospects for the employees. Barratt says Sanford is working on several initiatives with the aquaculture industry and research organisations to mitigate the CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Hoki, $188 Orange roughy, $42 Ling, $42 Mackerel, Jack, $46 Fish meal, $43 Paua, $50 Hoki, $188 Salmon (all), $70 SEAFOOD SECTOR IS GROWING, SAYS MAF New aquaculture legislation has helped position New Zealand's seafood industry for continuing growth, says the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries MAF in its half- year update to the annual Situation and Outlook for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry report. MAF now includes seafood in its forecasting following the merger with the Ministry of Fisheries in July. The update, released on December 14, shows earnings from exports of farmed fi sh and shellfi sh rose by 24.2 percent, or $60.1 million, to $308.7 million, driven off a volume increase of 4900 tonnes, or 11.9 percent. The report says new aquaculture legislation passed in August set the legal framework needed to support growth in the sector. MAF forecast that aquaculture production would increase at a moderate rate in the short to medium term. Mussel exports were the single largest earner in the past year, at $221 million, followed by rock lobsters at $213 million. MARCH/APRIL 2012 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 5