Toxin test system causing big losses, say shellfish farmers

Shellfish farmers have called for a speedier response from the Food Safety Authority on toxin testing, following one of the worst years for the industry. The Irish system is "excessively cautious" and is forcing producers out of business, the Irish Shellfish Association (ISA) said.

Already, growers face some £4 million in losses this year due to bans on harvesting after detection of toxins. About half of the State's mussel producers have been hit, with bays such as Bantry, Kenmare, Cromane in Kerry, Killary on the Galway-Mayo border and Bruckless in Donegal closed for periods of up to 15 months.

A review of the biotoxin testing system has been carried out by the Food Safety Authority's Molluscan shellfish safety committee, and the authority has begun a series of meetings with producers around the coastline - with the first in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, last night. It is also setting up a website page to speed up dissemination of information to growers.

The review was carried out by the authority with the Marine Institute and the ISA, but shellfish growers believe consumer safety and industry competitiveness could be better served by improving the basics of the system, including more rapid reporting of openings and closures.

Mr Richie Flynn, spokesman for the ISA, says shellfish growers are seeking quicker results of analysis, more reliance on plankton testing for early warning, and "species specific" closures - that is, permission to harvest other shellfish in a bay where only one species is regarded as toxic.

This year has been a highly active one for biotoxin-producing plankton, not just in Ireland but globally. Biotoxins do not affect shellfish, but do pose a human health hazard. Plankton accumulate in shellfish as they filter-feed sea water. The ISA maintains that an excessively cautious Irish system is eroding competitiveness.

A Co Galway shellfish co-op has been named as producer of the Best Native Oyster 2000 in the first 32-county Oyster Quality Awards run by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Guinness Ireland.

The Comharchumann Sliogeisc Connemara Teo was presented with the award in Dublin this week by the Minister of State for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Hugh Byrne.

The Oyster Grower of the Year was presented to Mr Daniel Gallagher of Lough Swilly Shellfish Ltd in Co Donegal. Second place was awarded to Mr Michael Murphy of Co Cork, and third to Mr Robert Graham of Co Down. The most promising new entrant is Mr Eugene Fitzpatrick of Co Wexford.

The winners are eligible to use the BIM-registered trademark, Supreme d'Irlande, which was developed to encourage oyster growers to move to value-added packaging. France is the main export market for some 300 oyster producers in 14 coastal counties.