Electrofishing for razor clams trial: update - February 2021 to January 2022

3. Food Standards Scotland (FSS)

Food Standards Scotland classify waters for the fishing of shellfish including razor clams to ensure landed razor clams are safe to eat. Despite the trial continuing in its aims, the ramifications of COVID-19 and the decision to suspend FSS sampling protocols back in 2020 were still apparent. At the height of the pandemic, FSS implemented the 'suspension protocol' to allow all classified waters that could not supply sufficient sample to maintain their classification. However, once this suspension protocol was lifted post-covid, a continued decrease in the number of samples being submitted towards the official control (OC) monitoring programme from certain areas was observed.

As the competent authority responsible for undertaking the OCs to determine the safety of Scotland's marine waters used for harvesting live bivalve molluscs (LMBs), FSS took the decision to declassify a total of 12 razor sites within the wider trial areas at the beginning of 2022 due to the lack of sampling. Fortunately, several trial participants re-applied for classification for these areas throughout the year and sampling recommenced.