Detailed guide: Prevent fish or shellfish diseases
Updated: List updated
Each year thousands of fish and shellfish die from disease. Recovering from an outbreak can take a long time and can be very expensive.
Serious fish and shellfish diseases
You must tell the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) if fish or shellfish:
- could be infected with a serious or notifiable disease
- are dying in larger numbers or dying in a way you haven’t seen before
Prevent the spread of disease in fish and shellfish
You can help control the spread of disease if you:
- follow rules for imports
- perform regular monitoring to spot disease early
- contain outbreaks as quickly as possible
- use good fish husbandry practice
- follow rules when moving fish
-
keep health records using the
-
keep medicine records using the
- follow a biosecurity measures plan:
-
Control areas for notifiable disease outbreaks
If a notifiable disease is found, FHI puts controls in place to limit the spread of disease (these areas are known as confirmed designations).
If your fish or shellfish are in a control area you must:
- comply with any conditions issued by FHI
- get written permission from FHI to move fish or equipment (allow at least 5 working days)
Fish
Maps of areas with controls in place to limit the spread of spring viraemia of carp (SVC):
2017
Maps of areas with controls in place to limit the spread of koi herpesvirus disease (KHV):
2018
2017
2016
Shellfish
You can use an interactive map (Desktop. Mobile) to view shellfish disease controls across Great Britain.
Alternatively below are individual maps of control areas of each disease:
Bonamia ostreae
Oyster herpesvirus
Marteilia refringens
Contacts
Fish Health Inspectorate
Email
fhi@cefas.co.uk
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
01305 206700
Environment Agency
PO Box 544
Rotherham
Yorkshire
S60 1BY
Email
enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
0370 8506 506
From outside the UK
+44 1709 389 201