BIOSECURITY NOTICE FOR CANOEISTS
All river users benefit from a healthy aquatic environment. In addition to the work to improve the ecology of the Wye and Usk, the Foundation wishes to make responsible canoeists (and anglers, walkers etc) aware of the dangers that they might inadvertently pose to indigenous flora and fauna, and what they can do about it.
Clothing and equipment that has not been thoroughly dried or disinfected can carry parasites and other diseases from one water body to another. These can have devastating effects as species that inhabit the newly infected water body have little or no immunity. Crayfish plague is just such a disease. It is carried by the American Signal crayfish, which is immune to the parasite whereas our native White clawed crayfish is not.
Another potentially damaging plague is GYRODACTULUS SALARIS (GS) which affects salmon and this could and be brought in from the continent.
The risk of Crayfish plague and GS require precautions to be taken.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If your canoeing equipment or clothing has been used abroad or on a different UK river to the one you intend to paddle in the 7 days prior to you visiting the Wye or Usk, you must ensure that your clothing and equipment has been properly sterilised through one of the following methods before you arrive:
Method A: Drying to a minimum of 20 degC for at least 2 days.
Method B: Heating to above 60 degC for at least one hour.
Method C: Deep freezing for at least one day.
Method D: Immersion of materials in a solution of, or addition of one of the following chemicals to the concentration indicated for a minimum of 10 minutes:
- Virkon 1%
- Wescodyne 1%
- Sodium chloride (common salt) 3%
- Sodium hydroxide 0.2%
