Plans to help stop oyster disease

The States of Jersey is working with French authorities to exchange information on a disease which is decimating oyster stocks.

Last year the condition, which is linked to a bacteria and a herpes virus, killed about 80% of oyster stocks in France but bypassed Jersey's.

However, this year the island's oyster farmers have reported that their stocks have also been affected by the disease.

The States is speaking to farmers to find out more about the condition.

They will then exchange their information with French authorities to see how it has affected farmers on the continent to try to find a way to stop the condition from further damaging stocks.

States vet Linda Lowseck said: "France has done a great deal of work on this particular problem which has recently been identified in Jersey.

"It's a complex situation and there are a lot of unanswered questions but by working with farmers we can exchange information with the French authorities and together build up our knowledge."