I
Ian Cloke
Guest
Fish farmer's lifeline as virus hits Nidderdale
A NIDDERDALE fish farmer has described the ?tremendous pressure? his business has faced since the outbreak of a deadly fish virus last May.
David Gotto, owner of Glasshouses Trout Farm, said trade restrictions enforced by DEFRA on him and 33 other local fish farms has meant he has had to employ extra staff to cope.
Meanwhile, Nidderdale Trout Farm, where the virus was first discovered, is still closed until further notice.
?We have only been able to sell fish that are gutted because our farm is right in the heart of where the initial infection was,? said Mr Gotto. ?This has created tremendous pressure for us and other restricted fish farms, both labour wise and financially.?
Before the outbreak of the fish virus, Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS), Mr Gotto said he had been able to sell live and whole fish to eat, as well as gutted fish across the country.
But he says quarantine restrictions on his farm and 33 others have meant live fish have not been allowed to be moved outside of the Yorkshire Ouse catchment area.
This, he says, has meant fish farmers, who do not gut fish to eat, have had to keep fish on their farms.
The fish have grown rapidly in size and their quality has deterioratated.
The British Trout Industry says many of the Yorkshire Ouse fish farms deal in mainly live fish to either restock angling rivers or to sell to fish farms elsewhere.
But Mr Gotto says his farm has been fortunate in that it is one of only four in the UK to sell gutted fish to the supermarket.
So he has still been able to move his gutted fish outside the restricted Yorkshire Ouse area.
Nidderdale Trout Farm, Low Laithe, near Pateley Bridge, was where the first case of the deadly fish virus was discovered.
The farm is run by Scot Trout Farm Ltd, who own 16 trout farms across Scotland and the UK.
?Scot Trout Farm Ltd are possibly the only organisation in the UK that could have survived the VHS infection,? said Mr Gotto.
?We are fortunate we can sell our gutted fish to Morrisons.?
A NIDDERDALE fish farmer has described the ?tremendous pressure? his business has faced since the outbreak of a deadly fish virus last May.
David Gotto, owner of Glasshouses Trout Farm, said trade restrictions enforced by DEFRA on him and 33 other local fish farms has meant he has had to employ extra staff to cope.
Meanwhile, Nidderdale Trout Farm, where the virus was first discovered, is still closed until further notice.
?We have only been able to sell fish that are gutted because our farm is right in the heart of where the initial infection was,? said Mr Gotto. ?This has created tremendous pressure for us and other restricted fish farms, both labour wise and financially.?
Before the outbreak of the fish virus, Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS), Mr Gotto said he had been able to sell live and whole fish to eat, as well as gutted fish across the country.
But he says quarantine restrictions on his farm and 33 others have meant live fish have not been allowed to be moved outside of the Yorkshire Ouse catchment area.
This, he says, has meant fish farmers, who do not gut fish to eat, have had to keep fish on their farms.
The fish have grown rapidly in size and their quality has deterioratated.
The British Trout Industry says many of the Yorkshire Ouse fish farms deal in mainly live fish to either restock angling rivers or to sell to fish farms elsewhere.
But Mr Gotto says his farm has been fortunate in that it is one of only four in the UK to sell gutted fish to the supermarket.
So he has still been able to move his gutted fish outside the restricted Yorkshire Ouse area.
Nidderdale Trout Farm, Low Laithe, near Pateley Bridge, was where the first case of the deadly fish virus was discovered.
The farm is run by Scot Trout Farm Ltd, who own 16 trout farms across Scotland and the UK.
?Scot Trout Farm Ltd are possibly the only organisation in the UK that could have survived the VHS infection,? said Mr Gotto.
?We are fortunate we can sell our gutted fish to Morrisons.?