Benchmark Holdings Regulatory News (BMK)

6 November 2015

Benchmark Holdings plc(the "Company")

Benchmark responds to detection of a strain of VHS in the Icelandic Marine Research Institute's lumpfish stock

Iceland's national Marine Research Institute (the "Institute") has detected a strain of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus ("VHS") in its lumpfish stock which are held at its dedicated facility in Iceland, and, as a precaution, the Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca), has temporarily suspended imports of all aquatic biological products from Iceland.  

Stofnfiskur hf ("Stofnfiskur"), which is based in Iceland and forms part of Benchmark's Breeding and Genetics division, exports salmon eggs from its production facilities to customers worldwide, including in Chile.

The virus has not caused the expression of disease in the Institute's lumpfish stock, and according to EU regulation Atlantic salmon is neither susceptible to, or a host species for, VHS.

Stofnfiskur has held discussions with Sernapesca and there are procedures in place which should allow re-opening of the Chilean border to imports from Stofnfiskur. The Company expects imports to resume before the end of the year.

Sales of Stofnfiskur's salmon eggs into Chile follow a cyclical annual trend and it is not currently the main season for sales of salmon eggs into Chile. Whilst we anticipate short-term disruption and delays to sales, the Company expects to continue to trade in line with market expectations.

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For further information, please contact:

Benchmark Holdings plc Tel: +44 (0)1142 409939

Malcolm Pye, CEO

Roland Bonney, COO

Rachel Aninakwah, Communications Tel: +44 (0)1865 790880

Cenkos Securities plc Tel: +44 (0)2073 978900

Stephen Keys, NOMAD

Tavistock Communications Tel: +44 (0)2079 203150

Matt Ridsdale/Niall Walsh

Notes to Editors:

Founded in 2000, Benchmark represents a new model in sustainable business development. Over the last decade it has built a profitable group of companies on the economics of a sustainable food supply chain. The company is growing in response to a rapidly increasing demand for sustainable food supply chains, and in particular for seafood, from both mature and emerging markets.

Benchmark is an ethical company with an explicit policy based on the "3E's" definition of a sustainable business - ethics, environment and economics - which guides its strategy and operations.

The Group has four divisions: Animal Health, which researches, manufactures and markets medicines and vaccines particularly for aquaculture; Sustainability Science, which researches and informs sustainable development in the food industry, Technical Publishing, which effects technology transfer through online publishing and education; and Animal Breeding and Genetics, which is the second largest supplier of salmon eggs and genetic expertise in the world. Benchmark operates internationally with offices in the UK, Ireland, Norway, USA, Brazil, China, Russia, Iceland, Thailand, Belgium, Chile, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Australia, and as at 6 November 2015 employs 399 people. For further information on Benchmark please visit www.bmkholdings.com.