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SECTION XIV
PUBLIC HEALTH (SHELLFISH) REGULATIONS 1934
Oyster Industry
The cultivation of native oysters continued to a limited extent and no trouble was experienced.
Fattening of imported Portuguese oysters in the River Roach and Barling Hall Creek for
re-export to France was continued during the year after being recommenced in 1967.
To enable the Medical of Health to sign a 'Certificate of Purity' required by the French
Authorities to accompany each consignment, the routine sampling procedure was continued
throughout the year, all samples being sent to the Public Health Laboratory, Chelmsford for
examination.
During the year examinations were carried out on seven occasions and in each case the oysters
were reported on as 'Satisfying the standards laid down by Worshipful Company of Fishmongers'.
'Certificates of Purity' were issued on eight occasions to accompany consignments .on
exportation.
Cockle Industry
The cockle industry at Leigh-on-Sea continued throughout the year satisfactorily. Routine
visits were made from time to time during the course of the year. The number of approved establishments
remains at eight and the conditions of these were found to be of a satisfactory standard.
One cockle establishment has been experimenting during the year with a suction type dredge
to gather the cockles from the banks in the estuary as opposed to the conventional method of
digging at low water. It is understood that this method has been successful.
Routine sampling of the cockles after cleansing was carried out by Southend Public Health
Department. No sickness was reported which could be attributed to the consumption of cockles
from these establishments.
On one occasion a 'Certificate of Purity' was requested for a consignment of cockles exported
to France. The cockles were collected for Barling Hall Creek which is outside the
'prescribed area'. This consignment was sampled and examined at Chelmsford Public Health
Laboratory and reported on as 'Bacteriologically satisfactory' and a certificate was issued
accordingly.
Oth er Shellfish
During the year two samples of periwinkles were gathered from the foreshore at Thameshaven,
this being outside the 'prescibed area'. Both samples were examined at Colindale Public
Health Laboratory and were reported on as 'Coliform bacilli non-faecal not found'; 'Organisms
of the Salmonella group not found'.
As a result of the limited outbreak of food poisoning in Newcastle early in June, which
was later attributed to the consumption of mussels infected by a bloom of dinoflagellates collected
from the foreshores of Northumberland, consideration was immediately given to the possibility
of a similar phenomenon occuring in the setuary of the River Thames. This was considered
unlikely. However, the Fisheries Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food at Burnham embarked on the sampling of shellfish. During the period of June to October,
161 samples were examined, of which only nine samples were derived from the District. The
remainder were derived from adjacent areas. None of the samples contained demonstrable toxin.
It was then considered that further research should be undertaken in 1969 during the considered
favourable phenomenon period of April to October and that the Authority would be requested to
participate.
In October, the Ministry of Health notified the Authority that Danish mussels imported into
this country around certain dates could have been infected with gymnodinium brevae, a toxic
forming flagellate similar to the causative agent associated with the Northumberland infected
mussels. A thorough check of all ships' manifests was made, but no Danish mussels were imported
through the Port.
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