Poole Harbour oil leak: Shellfish farms reopen

Oil visible in the water of Poole Harbour following the oil leak from a pipeline at an onshore oil field

Shellfish beds in a harbour where oil leaked from an onshore oil field have reopened.

Restrictions on harvesting shellfish came in after 200 barrels of reservoir fluid, including oil, leaked from the pipeline run by Perenco on 26 March.

Following sampling, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said shellfish farming beds could reopen on Thursday.

Operators must continue testing their catches.

Birds were spotted with oily smudges on their plumage following the leak

The beds within Poole Harbour were closed as a precautionary measure after the leak was discovered.

BCP Council said the sampling had been carried out at the aquaculture shellfish beds by BCP Council and SIFCA, and facilitated by the Food Standards Agency.

The authority said: "The FSA have advised that operators of these sites should continue to take appropriate action to ensure that any harvested shellfish are fit for consumption."

Wild shellfish beds in the harbour, fished on a seasonal basis, are currently closed to dredging until 25 May 2023.

BCP Council said: "Additional sampling has been carried out of these sites and the results, expected within two weeks, will enable an informed decision to be made as to whether fishing can safely commence when the season opens."

It added gathering shellfish by hand from the intertidal zone - the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide - "should not be carried out until the results from these areas has been received".

The beaches and waters near the site were cleared for use by the public in early April.

The leak came from Wytch Farm oil field

A total of 417,000 litres of oily water and 300 bags of waste have been collected as part of the clean-up operation by Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) following the oil leak.

At least 30 oiled birds have been spotted with oily smudges on their plumage since the spill, although no "serious" bird casualties have been reported, the PHC previously said.

Floating booms remain in place to ensure that oil does not escape into the wider harbour.

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