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Weekly Overview: EMS Detection Method Hopes to Reduce Outbreaks

Salmonids Crustaceans Health +4 more

ANALYSIS - In this week's news, a research team led by Dr Chu-Fang Lo, Dean of the College of Life Sciences at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, in cooperation with Dr Tim Flegel from Thailand, has developed a PCR-based method to detect early mortality syndrome (EMS) of shrimp, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.

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“We decided to release, free for public access, detailed information on the sequences and protocols from our research for a PCR-based detection method for bacteria causing EMS, since there are currently severe, widespread outbreaks of this disease,” Dr Lo said.

A new report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Ocean Service has found that coastal aquaculture can be environmentally sustainable, as long as proper planning and safeguards are in place.

“We did this study because of concerns that putting marine finfish farms in the coastal ocean could have adverse effects on the environment,” said Dr James Morris, National Ocean Service’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) ecologist.

“We found that, in cases where farms are appropriately sited and responsibly managed, impacts to the environment are minimal to non-existent.”

New legislation has come into force to ensure the continued protection of Scotland's shellfish growing waters.

The measures, the first of their kind in the UK, have been introduced to replace the European Shellfish Waters Directive which has been repealed 22 December.

To continue support for the expansion of Scotland’s shellfish sector towards the industry’s 2020 targets and beyond, and ensure a good quality product which is safe for human consumption, 84 shellfish water protected areas (SWPAs) have been identified.

In market news, US Darden Restaurants announced that it is letting go of its iconic Red Lobster chain after sales fell.

As a separate company, Red Lobster will have greater freedom to pursue marketing and operating strategies that are more tailored to the needs of those consumers who fit its core guest profile.

After almost a three year reign, Yngve Myhre will step down from CEO of Norwegian salmon farming company SalMar in June 2014.

"The period since I came to SalMar in 2011 has been exciting, instructive and challenging. But after several years of commuting to Frøya, and with almost 200 travel days a year, it is now time to give priority to my family," said Mr Myhre.

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