Cefas Annual Report and Accounts Published

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) publishes it Annual Report and Accounts 2003/2004 today. The Report describes Cefas’ activities during its seventh year since becoming an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra, formerly MAFF) in 1997.

The Report highlights a number of achievements, including:

• The naming and introduction into service of the new research vessel Cefas Endeavour;

• Contributions to the Strategy Unit study of marine fisheries, and engagement with the fishing industry in the first year of the Fisheries Science Partnership;

• An expanded fish discards monitoring programme, as required by the EU Fisheries Data Regulation;

• The assessment of environmental impacts of offshore wind-farms, as part of the consents for the first and second rounds of wind-farm developments around the UK;

• Leading a new Network of Excellence for fish disease issues across Europe. In addition, Cefas received funding from the English Carp Heritage Organisation to help pay for research into Koi herpes virus (KHV), detected in UK farms this year; and

• The Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2003 for the Burnham Laboratory.

Cefas’ Chief Executive, Peter Greig-Smith, said that this Report ‘demonstrates how the excellence of Cefas’ staff adds value through partnerships of very many kinds, and illustrates the high public profile of some areas of the science’.

Copies of the Cefas Annual Report and Accounts 2003/2004 have been placed in the Library of the House of Commons today (8 July).

Notes to editors

1. Cefas is a multidisciplinary scientific research, advisory and consultancy centre providing a comprehensive range of services in fisheries management, environmental monitoring and assessment, and aquaculture to governments, international agencies and a large number of clients worldwide.  
2. Cefas has a turnover of £35M and a staff of 533. It has laboratories and facilities at Lowestoft, Burnham-on-Crouch, Weymouth and Whitehaven.   
3. Printed copies of the Cefas Annual Report and Accounts 2003/2004 (ISBN 0-10-292810-X) will be available from 12:30 on 8 July 2004, price £17.75, from The Stationery Office, Publications Centre, 51 Nine Elms Lane, London SW8 5DR . General Enquiries: 0870 600 5522. 
4. The report is also available from the Cefas Library on 01502 524 210, and via the Cefas website at www.cefas.co.uk.