Colleagues (Aqua-L & Seafood)
Apologies for any cross posting.
DG Sanco (Food and Veterinary Office) of the European Commission has
delivered a damning report on the UK controls for residues of
veterinary medicines in farmed animal products, including fish from
aquaculture. It amounts to a severe criticism of the UK aquaculture
sector for using unsafe and illegal practices, as well as an
indictment of the UK authorities for failing to exert adequate
controls over the industry.
The report, presented as part of the Commission’s routine inspection
of Member State controls of veterinary medicines in food, is
particularly critical of the extensive use of illegal malachite green
in trout and salmon production, which is done, the Commission claims,
with “the full knowledge of the Competent Authorities”. It also
criticizes the UK’s organisation of laboratory testing, and the lack
of defined follow-up procedures where non-compliance with residue
legislation is identified. As an example, the report quotes a case in
which residues of ivermectin (a non-permitted treatment for
sea-lice) were detected in a sample of Scottish farmed salmon. No
on-farm investigation had taken place and no follow-up samples had
been taken more than a year after the original results were available
to the authorities.
The report concludes that “serious deficiencies” are observed in the
implementation of EU Directives by the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate of DEFRA. The Commission is recommended to commence
infringement proceedings against the UK, and to consider protective
measures (potentially including an EU trade ban with respect to UK
salmon and trout).
The full report is available at:
http://www.megapesca.com/megashop/FH200211_nhq/Final%20Report%20UK%20C
ontrol%20of%20Residues.pdf
Ian Goulding
Megapesca Lda.
Rua Gago Coutinho 11
Valado Stª Quitéria
2460-207 Alfeizerão
PORTUGAL
Tel +351 262 990372
Fax +351 262 990496
http://www.megapesca.com
Megapesca Lda
Alfeizerão 2460-207
Portugal
www.megapesca.com
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