Oyster business warns of 'disaster' if sales ban continues after Poole Harbour oil leak

• ITV News Meridian's Sally Simmonds reports on the impact the oil leak is having on both businesses and wildlife

Shellfish producers around Poole Harbour in Dorset have been advised to halt sales because of possible contamination following an oil leak.

One producer has warned of a "disaster" to businesses if the ban continues into the summer.

Pete Miles, Dorset Oysters, said: "If this could be concluded fairly shortly it would be fine, but I think if it drones on into late spring or summer then it could be a disaster for a lot of people."

The company is now having to rely on Jersey oysters and Portuguese clams to keep the business afloat.

Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC), which regulates activities on the harbour, said a leak occurred at a pipeline operated by gas company Perenco, under Owers Bay on Sunday, March 26.

Perenco said a "small" amount of reservoir fluid consisting of 85% water and 15% oil escaped from its pipeline.

Franck Dy, Perenco UK’s Wytch Farm General Manager, said: "The spill remains contained with four floating barriers in place and clean-up operations are progressing well with approximately 60% of the estimated discharged oil now having been recovered.

"Perenco is working as fast as possible to return the area affected to its original state.

"The location of the leak has been identified but the cause of the leak continues to be investigated by Perenco UK in close consultation with the Environment Agency and the local authorities.

"After the investigation, we will take on board any lessons that will prevent another discharge into this sensitive area.

"The integrity of the Wytch Farm infrastructure undergoes regular inspection with a complete and thorough survey of this pipeline completed less than 10 months ago.

"Operations at Wytch Farm remain temporarily suspended."

The leak occured on the same day that the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust began its annual count of young salmon and trout in the River Frome.

Around 15,000 juvenile fish will make their way down river to Poole Harbour over the next six weeks.

Dr Rasmus Lauridsen, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: "It is just the most unfortunate time that this happened at the time when these fish are making their journey through Poole Harbour and out to sea.

"It's important to understand that this is a really critical stage for salmon and sea trout because they're essentially leaving the fresh water and entering a new environment.

"Concern is that this is a species that is under threat. In particular the Atlantic salmon has declined by about 70% in the last three decades across the Atlantic.

"So it's a species we are very concerned about and any additional pressure like this is obviously not what we're looking for."

The Seahorse Trust says it is "extremely concerned" about the impact on the population of spiny and short nosed seahorses which live in the harbour.

Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder, The Seahorse Trust, said: "The oil will get into the food chain, it'll be absorbed by the plankton, by the shrimp and they then get eaten by things like seahorses.

"If a seahorse eats enough oil and enough polluted animals it will die. If the seahorse itself gets covered in oil it won't be able to move properly, it won't be able to breathe properly."

Poole Harbour Commissioners has warned against bathing in the area and said anyone feeling unwell should contact their GP.