Article 72U.K.Preliminary restriction and biosecurity measures to be applied in the event of the suspicion of a category A disease in aquaculture animals
1.In the event of suspicion of a category A disease in an establishment, the competent authority shall place the establishment under official surveillance and immediately impose the following preliminary restriction and biosecurity measures, in order to prevent the spread of the category A disease from the affected aquaculture animals and the establishment to unaffected aquatic animals:
(a)prohibition of movements of aquaculture animals into and from the establishment;
(b)prohibition of non-essential movements from the establishment of means of transport and equipment;
(c)prohibition of slaughter of aquaculture animals for human consumption;
(d)where technically feasible and regarded necessary, order the isolation of all aquaculture animals; and
(e)when practicable, implement adequate means and measures to control birds and other predators.
2.The competent authority may order preventive killing of listed species at the affected establishment where a category A disease is suspected provided that all necessary biosecurity and other risk-mitigating measures are applied to prevent the spread of the category A disease from the establishment.
3.The competent authority shall by way of derogation from Article 10(i) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and after carrying out a risk assessment, authorise movements of aquaculture animals for the sole purpose of immediate killing in a disease control aquatic food establishment or a plant approved for processing or disposal of as animal-by-products of category 1 or category 2 in accordance with that Regulation. The authorisation may only be granted when the necessary biosecurity and other risk-mitigating measures are applied to prevent the spread of the category A disease.
4.All animal by-products from dead aquaculture animals which have died or have been killed in accordance with this Article, including molluscs shells with meat, shall by way of derogation from Article 10(i) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 be processed or disposed of as category 1 or category 2 material in accordance with that Regulation to ensure that the relevant disease agent is inactivated and to prevent the transmission of the disease to other aquatic animals.