​EU Regulations impose a duty on the competent authority to conduct a 'sanitary survey' of shellfish production areas.

To comply with EU legislation, a priority for local and export markets, a sanitary survey of shellfish production areas has been carried out to ensure the mandatory sampling program provides suitable representation of the area.

The following information is reviewed and assessed in a sanitary survey:

• location and extent of the bivalve mollusc fishery
• type of shellfishery (species, method of harvest, seasonality of harvest)
• location, type and volume of sewage discharges
• location of river inputs and other potentially contaminated water courses (from OS maps / nautical charts)
• location of harbours and marinas (from OS maps / nautical charts)
• hydrographic and hydrometric data
• existing microbiological data from water quality or shellfish monitoring undertaken in the same area or adjacent areas