A contingency plan to tackle a disease which could wipe out 2,000 jobs if it contaminated Scottish salmon stocks was published on Monday. Gyrodactylus salaris (Gs), a deadly parasite of Atlantic salmon, is not present in Scotland but is found in Scandinavia. The Contingency Plan sets out steps that would be taken if an outbreak were to occur in Scotland.
 
Launching the action plan, Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Rhona Brankin said:
 
"Gs presents a significant risk to our salmon fisheries and freshwater aquaculture and I am grateful to all those who have contributed to this important piece of work. We now have a Contingency Plan but under existing legislation we could not attempt eradication of the parasite should it arrive. We are seeking these powers through the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Bill and I very much hope that the Scottish Parliament will give us the tools we need."
 
An exercise to test the robustness of the Contingency Plan will be held with major stakeholders early in 2007.
 
The Gs Contingency Plan, Economic Impact Report and Gs Task Force Chair's Report have been published and can be found by following the link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Fisheries/Fish-Shellfish/18610/13929