PDF Files

If you have difficulties viewing the PDF file please make sure you are using the latest version of the Acrobat Reader.

Movements, imports and exports

Fish in Great Britain's farms, freshwater fisheries, rivers and lakes are free from some of the most serious diseases that occur in other countries.

The Diseases of Fish Act 1937, as amended by the Diseases of Fish Act 1983, empowers the Fish Health Inspectorate, based at Cefas Weymouth, to control the movements of fish stocks where a notifiable disease is suspected or confirmed.

Under Section 30 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, the Environment Agency regulates the movement of fish within all inland waters in England and Wales (other than movements onto Registered Farm Sites).

The Import of Live Fish Act (ILFA) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) regulate the keeping and release of non native species into any waters respectively.

This legislation is designed to prevent the spread of fish diseases and to minimise damage to fisheries or the environment that may be caused by unregulated or inappropriate fish movements.

Fish Movements, Imports and Exports

You will find information on the rules governing fish imports and movements, introductions of fish to inland waters and the keeping of non-native fish on the eFishBusiness website. This will tell you what documents you need and/or licences that you must apply for. Forms can be downloaded as necessary.

Shellfish Movements, Imports and Exports

The health status of cultivated and wild marine shellfish is generally high in British coastal waters. This status is protected by means of controls on the introduction (termed deposit) of shellfish stock to the coastal zone.

The term deposit covers a variety of practices; placement (termed relaying) of shellfish onto the seabed; the temporary immersion of shellfish into holding tanks prior to their sale for consumption or other purpose; the storage of shellfish on land.

The rules governing the deposit of shellfish are determined by their place of origin, its health status and whether the shellfish are molluscans or crustaceans.

Molluscan shellfish are typically oysters, mussels, clams or scallops, and any rules are applied to all life history stages.

Crustacean shellfish include lobsters and crabs. The controls described relate entirely to lobsters.

Deposits of live molluscan shellfish within Great Britain

The movement of molluscan shellfish around Britain for relaying or other deposit, is subject to controls based on the relative disease status of the source and destination areas.

The British coastal zone remains free of the List II shellfish disease pathogens Bonamia and Marteilia, except in five restricted areas where Bonamia is found.

These coastal areas, including all estuaries and tidal rivers, are (1) the south coasts of Cornwall and Devon from the Lizard to Start Point; (2) the coast of Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex from Portland Bill to Selsey Bill; (3) the coast of Essex and Suffolk from Shoeburyness to the North Foreland Lighthouse; (4) the coast of Pembrokeshire from Wooltack Point to St. Govan's Head; (5) Loch Sunart, Argyll from Maclean's Nose to Auliston Point, (6) West Loch Tarbert from Ard Patrick Point to North Dunsteig Bay.

Movements are controlled into Bonamia free areas and from restricted areas. If you wish to deposit any molluscan shellfish of farmed or wild origin you will need to apply to the FHI on form: DOF 18.

Note: the deposit of flat oysters from a restricted area to a Bonamia free area is prohibited

Deposits of crustacean shellfish (Lobsters) within Great Britain

The trade in Lobsters within Britain poses the risk of introduction of disease, most notably the bacterial disease gaffkaemia. In order to minimise this risk there is a licensing scheme for lobster deposits which is administered by the FHI. Licences are required to deposit lobsters:

In any tidal waters or
In any inland waters flowing into tidal waters or
On any land or premises within one mile of these tidal or inland waters.

You will need an individual licence for:

European Lobsters - Which have been kept in water tanks or systems that contain or have held American Lobsters and which are not intended solely for consumption on the premises or canned, frozen or otherwise prepared.

American Lobsters - Which are not intended solely for consumption on the premises or canned, frozen or otherwise prepared

Applications for individual licences should be made to the Fish Health Inspectorate on form FIS 9 (PDF, 29 KB) .

A general licence has been issued for:

Deposits of European Lobsters which have not been kept in water tanks or systems that contain or have held American Lobsters
Deposits of European Lobsters which have been kept in water tanks or systems that contain or have held American Lobsters and which are intended solely for consumption on the premises or canned, frozen or otherwise prepared.
Deposits of American lobsters intended solely for consumption on the premises or canned, frozen or otherwise prepared.

There is no need to apply for general licences for deposits in these categories.

Imports of live molluscan shellfish into Great Britain from elsewhere within the EU

'Great Britain has gained Approved Zone status (March 2002) under the EU Fish Health regime for Marteilia and Bonamia (but not for Bonamia in the restricted areas). It is therefore able to operate import controls aimed at preventing the introduction of these diseases from elsewhere in the EU.

Imports for the purpose of deposit into coastal waters are subject to controls based on the health status of shellfish growing areas in the region of origin and the species being imported. Each import must be accompanied by a movement document signed by the competent Veterinary authority in the Member State of origin.

The FHI is responsible for ensuring that any shellfish imports are made in accordance with these rules. Prior notification of any intended import should therefore be made to the FHI on form DOF 14, at least 24 hours before the consignment is shipped.

Imports of molluscan shellfish for deposit are permitted as follows:

Flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) - from Marteilia and Bonamia Approved Zones, or Farms only.

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) - from any source provided the consignment is certified free from all other species of bivalve mollusc.

All other molluscan shellfish - from Marteilia and Bonamia Approved Zones or Farms, or from other farms which do not hold species susceptible to Marteilia and Bonamia and which are not connected to any other water.

Imports of live molluscan shellfish for direct human consumption are not subject to any controls.

Imports of live crustacean shellfish into Great Britain from elsewhere within the EU

There are no restrictions on, or documentary requirements for, imports of live crustacean from other Member States. The deposit of lobsters imported from the EU would however be subject to licensing as described above.

Import of all types of live shellfish from outside the EU

These pages are currently being updated in line with new animal health legislation.

Please follow this link to the explanatory letter that has been issued to the industry.

Exports of live shellfish to countries within the EU

The EU fish health regime requires that movements of molluscan shellfish susceptible to Marteilia and Bonamia are made only between zones or farms of equivalent health status, and that movements of non susceptible molluscs do not carry the risk of transfer of these pathogens to approved zones or farms.

Movements of shellfish into approved zones must therefore be accompanied by movement documents, which attest to the health status of the consignment, signed by the Official Service in the region of origin. In England and Wales the FHI is responsible for the issue of such movement documents.

If you wish to export molluscan shellfish to another EU country you should contact the FHI to discuss what documents, if any, are required. You should provide five working days notice of any intended export so that we can guarantee that documents can be produced by the intended export date.

There are no restrictions on the export of crustacean shellfish to other EU countries.

Exports of live shellfish to countries outside the EU

Anyone intending to export shellfish to countries outside the EU should check the requirements of the destination country. We advise this is done via the trade department of that country's embassy. If any health certification requirements exist you should contact the FHI to establish whether they can be met.

It may not be possible for us to meet the demands of the other country initially, but the FHI maybe able to carry out checks or testing, on a cost recovery basis, to enable us to provide such certification for subsequent exports.