Our history
The origins of Cefas date back to 1902 when a small fisheries laboratory was established in Lowestoft, a major North Sea fishing port at the time. Initially concerned with research of the offshore fisheries our sphere of work broadened over the decades to encompass inshore waters and wider marine and aquatic environmental concerns and issues.
Known previously as the Directorate of Fisheries Research (DFR), our name and status changed in 1997 to 'Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science' (Cefas) when we became an Executive Agency of what was then the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and is now the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
For further information on the development and history of Cefas follow the links below:
