12.—(1) The Secretary of State must appoint suitably trained veterinary surgeons to be official veterinary surgeons for any border inspection post authorised to import animals.
(2) The district council for an area with a border inspection post authorised to import products must appoint suitably trained veterinary surgeons to be official veterinary surgeons for that post.
(3) The appointment under paragraph (2) may be made by the Secretary of State rather than the district council if the approval for the border inspection post only permits the importation of animal by-products.
(4) If the approval for the border inspection post permits the importation of any product (other than snails) for human consumption listed in Chapter 3 of Annex I to Commission Decision 2007/275/EC the district council may appoint suitably trained environmental health officers to be official fish inspectors for that post in relation to fish and fishery products, and that inspector has all the powers of an official veterinary surgeon in relation to those products.