September 13, 2007

Scotland boom year continues despite bleeding salmon
 

Scotland's salmon fishery boards has stressed that the appearance of an infection -- "red vent syndrome" -- was having no effect on a boom year across the country for catches of the king of fish, salmon.

The syndrome has infected thousands of wild Atlantic salmon returning to Scotland's rivers. The mysterious parasite left them with bleeding wounds. 

The Fisheries Research Service (FRS) has revealed that evidence of the infection has been found in salmon in more than 50 rivers across the country.

The unprecedented infection is also widespread in England, Wales and Ireland.

A spokesman for the FRS said: "There have been reports from across Scotland of wild Atlantic salmon returning with inflamed vents. These symptoms seem to be restricted to the wild Atlantic salmon populations."

Andrew Graham Stewart, a spokesman for the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards in Scotland, told The Scotsman: "The evidence seems to be that the wounds heal after some time in fresh water so the likely effect on spawning won't be too bad."