Advice

The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) are designated by Defra and NAWAD as the point of contact for advice and enquiries relating to aquaculture and fisheries in relation to fish health.

Disease prevention

We ask farmers, fishery managers and all concerned with the buying, selling, keeping and moving of live fish and shellfish to ensure that every precaution is taken to prevent the introduction or spread of disease.

It is very much in your interest to follow the rules and to take all the necessary precautions to prevent your farm or fishery becoming infected with disease. You need to take sensible steps to ensure that any fish or shellfish that you buy are not a source of infection for your existing stock.

Farmers, dealers and traders

• Report any suspicion of a notifiable disease to the FHI
• Keep stress to fish and shellfish at a minimum wherever possible, as they have an increased susceptibility to disease when stressed. Stress can be caused by a number of factors such as rapid changes in water temperature, movement from one site to another, poor handling, or overstocking.
• Avoid collecting and mixing animals from different sites, especially when you intend to selFebruary 8, 2006rowing. If possible, you should consider a period of quarantine for recently acquired stocks. When handling stocks, ensure that nets and equipment are cleaned and disinfected between use.
• Buy from a reputable supplier.
• Disinfect bought-in ova and destroy the packaging.
• Never take shellfish imported for consumption and relay or deposit them in the coastal zone

Fisheries managers and anglers

• Report any suspicion of a notifiable disease to the FHI;
• Make sure there are no unauthorised transfers of live fish (live salmon in Scotland) between waters;
• Buy fish stocks from a reputable supplier.
• Do not use raw / unprocessed fish as fish feed or bait as this may introduce infectious disease.
• If waters are subject to a DAO or if there is any suspicion of disease, you should avoid the use of keep-nets and carp sacks since these can carry infection and may also bring infected fish into close contact with other fish.
• Disinfect fishing tackle, nets, sacks, footwear and other equipment such as boats, before moving to other waters.
• Cleaning and disinfection procedures should also be applied to equipment used in fishery remedial work, such as bank repairs and stock netting.

Buying fish

When buying fish or shellfish, you should ask your supplier:

• What is the origin of the stock that you are buying?
• Ask to see any fish health records or certificates.
• Are regular examinations for disease undertaken on stocks held on the supplier's site / premises?
• Are all new consignments of fish and shellfish brought onto the suppliers site/premises examined for disease?
• Are the examinations undertaken by the supplier's own employees, private veterinarians, official disease services and what are the results of such examinations to date?

Disease management

This is a process which can be exercised at several levels. The following examples serve to highlight some of the most important areas at which disease control can be exercised;

• Early disease detection and identification.
• Official controls to prevent or limit the spread of serious disease;
• Application of appropriate treatments;
• Availability of most up to date information on treatments to allow targeting of therapeutics effectively.

Disinfection

Advice on disinfection may be obtained from the FHI  local veterinary surgeons, or your local Environment Agency Office .

Many disinfectants are extremely poisonous to fish and shellfish. Footwear and all equipment, especially nets, should be thoroughly rinsed with tap water after cleaning and disinfecting. Care must be taken in disposing of waste water containing disinfectants and washings must be disposed of in a way that does not harm the environment. They should never be allowed to drain directly into water containing fish, shellfish or other aquatic life.

You must ensure that vehicles used for the carriage of live fish or shellfish are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected both before moving fish and as soon as possible after unloading. You must also make sure that no water escapes from the vehicle and that any water changes take place only at approved water stations.

Advice on appropriate disposal of used disinfectants / washings should be sought from the Environment Agency and from the Fish Health Inspectorate.

Disease risk analysis  – relating to imports of fish and shellfish.

The Fish Health Inspectorate have considerable knowledge and experience on risk management for fish and shellfish disease management and are able to advise you. If you require advice or assistance in this area please do not hesitate to contact us.

Fish and shellfish welfare

We are required to report any welfare problems on fish farms to Defra. Such reports would also be made in relation to welfare problems uncovered during any other aspects of our work.

Enquiries relating to welfare of fish on farms or in transport should be directed to Animal Welfare Division of Defra.