Commission Decision of 20 November 2008 on guidelines for the purpose of the risk-based animal health surveillance schemes provided for in Council Directive 2006/88/EC (notified under document number C(2008) 6787) (Text with EEA relevance) (2008/896/EC)

6.6. APPROXIMATION OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE CONTRACTION AND SPREAD OF DISEASE THROUGH MOVEMENTS OF AQUACULTURE ANIMALS U.K.

6.6.1. Introduction U.K.

Movements of live aquaculture animals into and out of farms and mollusc farming areas are a very important means for the transmission of disease.

In evaluating that factor, the following should be assessed:

(a)

the place of origin of the aquaculture animals;

(b)

the number of aquaculture animals supplied to the farm or mollusc farming area;

(c)

the number of different suppliers of aquaculture animals;

(d)

the frequency of movements of aquaculture animals into and out of farms and mollusc farming areas.

The model set out in Section 6.3 only recommends that farms be grouped together according to their high or low risk of the contraction and the spread of disease through movements of aquaculture animals. For the purposes of that model, it is therefore sufficient only to take account of whether the farm or mollusc farming area is supplied by or delivers live aquaculture animals (including eggs), and the place of origin of those animals.

This section provides examples of situations that may be regarded as presenting a low risk for the contraction and spread of disease through movements of aquaculture animals.

The list of examples provided in this section is not exhaustive. It should therefore not be concluded that farms and mollusc farming areas not covered by any of these examples present a high risk of the contraction and the spread of disease.

6.6.2. Examples of low likelihood of the contraction of disease through the supply of aquaculture animals to farms and mollusc farming areas: U.K.

(a)

farms and mollusc farming areas which are self sufficient with eggs or juveniles(1);

(b)

cases where the aquaculture animals are supplied only from disease-free zones or compartments. For farms in health status Categories III and V there is no requirement F1 ... that aquaculture animals be supplied from disease-free zones or compartments, and the fact that the farm chooses to obtain its animals from a disease-free zone or compartment distinguishes the farm from other farms in the same health status category. Farms in health status Category I should only receive animals from a disease-free place of origin. For these farms, it should therefore be required instead that the animals are either supplied from the same disease-free area or that the farm only has a limited number of suppliers of aquaculture animals;

(c)

cases where wild aquatic animals, released from quarantine and intended for further farming, are supplied;

(d)

cases where disinfected eggs are supplied; this is relevant only where scientific evidence or practical experience has shown that disinfection effectively reduces the risk of disease transmission to an acceptable level as regards the listed diseases to which the species on the farm or mollusc farming area are susceptible.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Annex para. 6.6.2(b) omitted (E.W.S.) (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Animals, Aquatic Animal Health, Invasive Alien Species, Plant Propagating Material and Seeds (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1388), regs. 1(2)(c), 7(17)

6.6.3. Examples of low likelihood of the spread of disease through the delivery of aquaculture animals to farms or mollusc farming areas: U.K.

(a)

farms and mollusc farming areas which do not deliver any animals for further farming, relaying or restocking;

(b)

fish farms which only deliver disinfected eggs; this is only relevant where scientific evidence or practical experience has shown that disinfection effectively reduces the risk of disease transmission to an acceptable level as regards the listed exotic or non-exotic diseases to which the species on the farm are susceptible.

(1)

This could be the case for fish farms keeping their own brood stock and for mollusc farms and mollusc farming areas where the production is based on natural recruitment of spat.