Icon Aquatic Animal Health

Inspection and Advice

The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) is the official service for the control of serious diseases of aquatic animals in England and Wales and are a regulatory body based in the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB

Head of FHI = Mike Gubbins michael.gubbins@cefas.gov.uk

Deputy Head of FHI = Richard Gardiner richard.gardiner@cefas.gov.uk

The FHI is split into the three following internal teams (for management purposes) and has close links to the other SAS teams:

1.  The Policy, Advice and Enforcement Team deliver scientific and policy advice to support the delivery of aquatic animal health and alien species controls within the aquaculture industry. It also undertakes investigation and enforcement activities, working with aquaculture production businesses to ensure good compliance with legislative obligations.

2.  The Field Team comprises most of the field Inspectors whose primary role is to inspect and regulate Aquaculture Production Businesses (APB’s) in England & Wales. This is primarily achieved by inspecting aquatic animals on APB’s to ensure they are free of listed diseases, ensuring compliance with regulations governing the industry, promoting best practice, implementing biosecurity standards, supporting safe trade, investigation and control of serious disease outbreaks, and statutory enforcement actions. They also, implement Non-Native/Invasive Species Legislation, working on behalf of other government agencies and participating in Cefas research and work overseas.

3.  The Aquatic Trade and Technical Advice Team (ATTA) are a specialised team within the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) made up of 5 technical administrators. ATTA is the first point of contact in the FHI for all enquiries and applications and provide statutory advice within customer service charter standards to industry and the public. They provide essential backup and support to the members of the other two FHI teams. ATTA are responsibilities include:

* Fishery registrations

* Aquaculture Production Business (APB) authorisations (Finfish, Mollusc and Crustaceans)

* Ensuring reports of suspected notifiable diseases are investigated and subsequent controls are placed.

* Issuing import and export guidance and certificates for live fish and shellfish for aquaculture, ornamental and restocking purposes.

* Providing advice, permitting, authorisation and import permissions for the introduction and keeping of non-native species of fish , molluscs, crustaceans, macro-algae, salamander, and newt.

* Starfish database management including statistical output reporting.

FHI Contact Information

Email: fhi@cefas.gov.uk

Telephone: 01305 206700 Monday to Thursday - 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 4:30pm

Staff may be available outside of these times, if not, calls will be directed to a telephone answer machine and dealt with as soon as the office re-opens. If your matter is urgent, you can contact our duty inspector on 07833 293506.

Michael Gubbins

Michael Gubbins

team lead

Michael Gubbins - Head of FHI

Email: michael.gubbins@cefas.gov.uk