CHAPTER VNOTIFICATION AND MINIMUM MEASURES FOR CONTROL OF DISEASES OF AQUATIC ANIMALS

SECTION 1Disease notification

Article 26National notification

1

Member States shall ensure that:

a

when there are any reasons to suspect the presence of a disease listed in Part II of Annex IV, or the presence of such disease is confirmed in aquatic animals, the suspicion and/or the confirmation is immediately notified to the competent authority;

and

b

when increased mortality occurs in aquaculture animals, the mortality is immediately notified to the competent authority or a private veterinarian for further investigations.

2

Member States shall ensure that the obligations to notify the matters referred to in paragraph 1 are imposed on:

a

the owner and any person attending aquatic animals;

b

any person accompanying aquaculture animals during transport;

c

veterinary practitioners and other professionals involved in aquatic animal health services;

d

official veterinarians, senior staff of veterinary or other official or private laboratories;

and

e

any other person with an occupational relationship to aquatic animals of susceptible species or to products of such animals.