The government’s Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), based at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), confirms that at present it is illegal to import carp from France. A basic principle of disease control within the EU is that any claim for status for a particular disease is only possible if that disease is notifiable in the Member State concerned.
The FHI has spoken to the fishery owner, who advertised his intention to import record-sized carp from France, to explain that the planned import is illegal. FHI said that they seeking the owner’s help to identify the importer so that they convey the message that any import from France would be illegal.
Stuart Katon, FHI Enforcement and Investigations Officer opined that fishery owners being offered fish from a supposedly disease-free source in France, or any other country, should contact us so that we can advise on the legality of the proposed import and take action against any illegal importers.
Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment and the UK’s largest and most diverse applied marine science organisation. Bridging the interface between science, policy and delivery, Cefas provides evidence-based scientific advice, manages related data and information, conducts world-class scientific research, and facilitates collaborative action through wide-ranging relationships.
