Anglers to fund research into killer carp disease

The English Carp Heritage Organisation (ECHO) will present a cheque for £8,000 to the head of the Fish Health Inspectorate, Eric Hudson of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), on 20 March 2004 at the National Carp Show, being held at the Five Lakes Hotel, near Colchester, Essex.

The ECHO funds are ear-marked for further research into the Koi herpes virus (KHV), a contagious disease affecting ornamental and common carp. Cefas intends to invest a potential £90,000 to develop diagnostic techniques for the disease. Scientists based at the Cefas laboratory in Weymouth first discovered KHV in imported Koi carp in Britain in 2000.

The jointly funded research project, involving ECHO and Cefas, is the first time that a representative angling body, supported by the trade, has worked together with a government agency to prevent the spread of disease in fish. It marks a significant advance in relations between the parties, who are keen to work together to tackle disease, environmental and animal welfare concerns.

On a recent visit to the Cefas laboratory, which led to the ECHO funding agreement, Mr Ian Chillcott, founder of ECHO, said: ‘Carp anglers now have the opportunity to have a far more active role in the destiny of their sport. The bridges have been built and a working relationship has now been indelibly formed. Let’s grasp this opportunity with both hands.’

Eric Hudson said: ‘This is a very exciting development and our staff are delighted to be working alongside ECHO on this jointly funded project. These are very early days but this project is a classic illustration of what can be achieved, simply by working together.’

Notes to editors

1. Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It became an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (formerly MAFF) in 1997. Cefas undertakes work on fisheries management, environmental protection and aquaculture. It offers a wide range of research, advisory, consultancy, monitoring and training activities to government departments (UK and foreign, central and local), international agencies, commercial companies and aid organisations. 
2. The Fish Health Inspectorate is based at Cefas’ Weymouth laboratory. It is principally responsible for the implementation of statutory fish and shellfish health controls and the prevention of serious fish disease in England and Wales. Its investigation and enforcement strategy is based on preventing and detecting offences by means of an intelligence-led, inter-agency and targeted approach. For more detail see the Cefas website: /fhi. 
3. The English Carp Heritage Organisation was formed in 2001 to protect and preserve English carp. Its membership comprises carp anglers, fish farmers and fishery owners and members of the popular angling press. It has taken a stand against imports of live foreign fish that it sees as a direct threat to the health of UK indigenous fish stocks.  
4. The research project is a direct consequence of the strong relations that have developed between ECHO and Cefas. Both parties have worked hard to prevent fish diseases being introduced to the UK through infected foreign fish.  
5. Great Britain enjoys a very high fish health status, whereas serious fish disease is more common in other EU member states. 
6. KHV is an incurable condition that has caused considerable damage to the global ornamental and coarse fish trades. KHV is spread from fish to fish, and is most contagious in water at 16C–25C. Contaminated water, nets, tanks and other equipment are all sources of the disease. 
7. Carp were once a common food source in the UK. Now they are popular with the approximately 100,000 UK carp anglers, who ‘catch and return’ millions of fish every year. The carp is the mainstay of a £3.5 billion-a-year angling industry.  
8. There will be a photo opportunity at the National Carp Show.

Contact: Steve Maidment of Cefas, at the ECHO stand on Saturday morning, 20 March

Press contact: Anne McClarnon 01502 524370 / anne.mcclarnon@cefas.co.uk