Tonne of Live Carp Seized at Dover

Inspectors from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have reported to the authorities a man from Thamesmead in Kent for illegally importing a tonne of live carp into Great Britain.

This action is the result of HM Customs officers at Dover intercepting a hired van being used to transport fish from France earlier this month. State Veterinary Service (SVS) personnel assisted Customs officers in the operation.

Some of the fish in the seized consignment were found to be dead and others were in a poor condition. All were humanely destroyed. Tests are being carried out at Cefas’ Weymouth laboratory on samples taken from the consignment.

A Cefas spokesman said: “Although fish smuggling has been significantly reduced in recent years there is still a very small minority of individuals who are prepared to risk the spread of serious fish disease for their own selfish interests.”

The incident is the latest in a series of successful interceptions in recent years.

The Cefas spokesman added: “This operation once again illustrates how effectively government agencies are co-operating over the problem of illegal fish imports.”

Notes to editors

1. Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It became an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 1997.
2. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), based at Cefas’ Weymouth laboratory, is dedicated to maintaining and improving fish and shellfish health in England and Wales. Its primary role is to act for Defra and the National Assembly for Wales, Agriculture Department (NAWAD) in undertaking statutory and inspection duties resulting from the EU Fish Health regime and other national legislation in the area of fish and shellfish health.
3. The Inspectorate also licenses and monitors imports of fish and shellfish from other countries and runs an enforcement programme aimed at preventing the illegal importation of these animals.
4. For more about movement controls and enforcement, see www.cefas.co.uk/fhi/movements.htm.
5. Press contact: Anne McClarnon