Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689Show full title

Section 3 U.K. Granting of the status free from infection with Bonamia ostreae in Member States, zones and compartments known to be infected with Bonamia ostreae

1. The status free from infection with Bonamia ostreae may only be granted to a Member State, a zone or a compartment known to be infected with Bonamia ostreae, where the competent authority judges that eradication of this disease to be feasible, if all establishments or groups of establishments keeping listed species within that Member State, zone or compartment have been subject to an eradication programme that complies with the following requirements: U.K.

(a)

the minimum control measures laid down in Articles 55 to 65 must have been effectively applied, and a restricted zone of an appropriate size as provided for in point (c) of Article 58(1), where appropriate, divided into a protection zone and surveillance zone; must have been established in the vicinity of the establishment or group of establishments declared infected with Bonamia ostreae taking into account the requirements set out in point 2;

(b)

all establishments and groups of establishments keeping listed species within the protection zone or where a protection zone has not been established, within the restricted zone, not infected with Bonamia ostreae must be subject to an investigation comprising at least the collection of samples for testing of 150 molluscs of susceptible species after the beginning of the transmission period of Bonamia ostreae. When the transmission period is not known, the sampling must begin in winter or at the beginning of spring;

(c)

relevant establishments and groups of establishments must be emptied in accordance with Article 62, and if possible, cleaned and disinfected in accordance with Article 63.

Fallowing must be carried out in compliance with Article 64 and the duration of the fallowing period must be at least 6 months.

When all infected establishments or infected groups of establishments are emptied, at least 4 weeks of synchronised fallowing must be carried out;

(d)

repopulation may only take place when all infected establishments or infected groups of establishments have been emptied, cleaned, disinfected and fallowed in accordance with point (c);

(e)

all establishments and groups of establishments other than those referred to in point (f) which keep listed species within the Member State, zone or compartment covered by the eradication programme, must subsequently be subject to the scheme set out in Section 2;

(f)

an individual establishment which keeps listed species and which has a health status which is independent of the health status of the surrounding waters is not required to comply with the surveillance scheme set out in Section 2 following a disease outbreak provided the establishment complies with the requirements set out in paragraph 3 of Article 80 and is repopulated with molluscs sourced from Member States, zones or compartments with status free from infection with Bonamia ostreae.

2. The restricted zone must have been defined on a case-by-case basis and: U.K.

(a)

it must take into account factors influencing the risks for the spread of infection with Bonamia ostreae including other establishments and wild molluscs, such as:

(i)

the number, age, rate and distribution of the mortalities of molluscs on the establishment or group of establishments infected with Bonamia ostreae;

(ii)

the distance to and density of neighbouring establishments or groups of establishments and wild molluscs;

(iii)

the proximity to processing establishments, contact establishments or groups of establishments;

(iv)

the species, especially susceptible species and vector species, present at the establishments or groups of establishments;

(v)

the farming practices applied in the affected and neighbouring establishments and groups of establishments;

(vi)

the hydrodynamic conditions; and

(vii)

other factors of epidemiological significance identified;

(b)

the geographical demarcation must comply with the following minimum requirements:

(i)

the protection zone must consist of an area included in a circle with a radius of at least one tidal excursion or at least 5 km, whichever is larger, centred on the establishment infected with Bonamia ostreae, or an equivalent area determined according to appropriate hydrodynamic or epidemiological data; and

(ii)

the surveillance zone must consist of an area surrounding the protection zone, of overlapping tidal excursion zones; or an area surrounding the protection zone and included in a circle of radius 10km from the centre of the protection zone; or an equivalent area determined according to appropriate hydrodynamic or epidemiological data;

or

(iii)

where separate protection and surveillance zones are not established, the restricted zone must consist of an area comprising both the protection zone and the surveillance zone.

Table 5.A
Scheme for Member States, zones or compartments for the 3-year control period which precedes the achievement of status free from infection with Bonamia ostreae
Year of surveillance	Number of health visits per year to each establishment or group of establishments	Number of laboratory examinations per year	Number of molluscs in the sample
Year 1	1	1	150
Year 2	1	1	150
Year 3	1	1	150