Transparency data

FHI Annual Report 2014

Updated 12 March 2015

Applies to England and Wales

1. Fish health

The fish health inspection programme on aquaculture production businesses again demonstrated a high level of compliance by businesses with statutory obligations. The small number of non-compliances generally related to administrative issues such as failure to accurately record live fish movements and were resolved through the use of advice, guidance notices and in some cases warning letters. There has been no necessity to prosecute businesses for non-compliance in 2014.

Disease surveillance on salmonid farms has, with the exception of the newly emerging condition, puffy skin disease, revealed fewer disease problems than in previous years. This may in part be attributable to the high volume of water available to fish farms as compared with recent years, which has undoubtedly contributed to better husbandry conditions on the more intensively farmed sites and fewer disease problems.

Skin conditions, primarily in rainbow trout production, are of increasing concern to industry. Puffy skin disease appears to be becoming more widespread in farmed fish and has also been reported in rainbow trout stocked into recreational fisheries. Research underway at Cefas includes epidemiological studies to identify common factors in disease outbreaks and transmission studies that indicate the condition is transmissible.

As far as the non-salmonid sector is concerned the summer months were dominated by reported mortalities in common carp in managed fisheries, with a high proportion of disease events attributed to KHV disease. At 23 confirmed designations, the year saw the highest number of statutory controls placed since KHV disease was made notifiable in 2007. However on a more positive note, KHV disease in the ornamental fish wholesaler sector appears to be declining with only one outbreak identified, and that was at a specialist high value koi dealer facility.

The risk based import surveillance programme identified SVC in goldfish originating in China. This is the first time since 2012 that SVC has been identified in Chinese goldfish. The risk to the UK health status from this import was significantly reduced by the fact that the importer had, on the advice of the FHI, established an isolation facility for imported fish. This also reduced the impact of the outbreak on the business by limiting the cull and disinfection to the isolation facility.

The past year saw an extension to the range of key performance indicators, covering many areas of the work of the FHI. In addition refinements to the way in which the data is presented have aided interpretation of the results. The indicators are reviewed on a team-wide basis at monthly Inspectorate meetings, and have contributed to a significant improvement in the achievement of Service Charter targets and thus in the provision of an efficient service to stakeholders.

The past year saw an increase in applications for authorisation of new fish farms in England and Wales as compared with previous years. 98 pre-authorisation inspections were completed and 23 sites were de-authorised.

2. Shellfish health

Surveillance in shellfish production areas for the listed diseases caused by Bonamia ostreae and Marteilia refringens indicated no further spread of these parasites. Inspections on shellfish farms indicated satisfactory levels of compliance with statutory obligations.

During a routine surveillance visit to a shellfish purification centre located in the River Crouch, Essex Inspectors were alerted to a mortality event in Pacific oyster stocks in an adjacent shellfish farm. Diagnostic tests confirmed oyster herpesvirus microvariant OsHV-1 µvar as the cause of the mortality. A Confirmed Designation was placed on the River Crouch estuary with a surveillance zone established on the adjacent River Roach estuary. This is the fourth shellfish production area designated for oyster herpesvirus microvariant in GB. An epidemiological study concluded that the most likely route of introduction was through the unauthorised movement of shellfish.

Trials have continued with farmed Pacific oysters in Poole Harbour in order to establish whether sources of stock and changes in husbandry can reduce levels of mortality caused by oyster herpes microvariant.

The parasite Haplosporidium nelsoni was recorded for the first time in the UK in farmed Pacific oysters in the River Dart, Devon. In addition evidence of sporulation (spore formation producing infective stages of the life cycle) was observed. This parasite was formerly reportable to the OIE but was delisted in 2005. Further work is underway to assess the distribution of H.nelsoni in shellfish production areas in England and Wales.

3. Advice, representation and Better Regulation

The FHI continued to provide advice and guidance to stakeholders through attendance and presentations at conferences, meetings and shows such as the Coarse Fish Conference, the Fish Veterinary Society annual meeting, SAGB meetings, the Angling Trust fish welfare meeting, and the Game Show.

The FHI’s Aquatic Trade and Technical Advice team provides a general advice service to industry and stakeholders. In 2015 the team responded to 3,541 telephone enquiries, 377 written correspondence, and 6233 email enquiries. In addition 391 movement document applications have been processed, and 785 authorisation and registration applications completed. The FHI page on GOV.UK (formerly the Aquatic Animal Health and Movements website) received 62,179 visitors during the year.

The publication of a quarterly reports on Inspectorate activities on the GOV.UK website was recognised as an example of good practice by Defra Better Regulation Unit.

The ATTA team undertook a trial of ‘Customer Thermometer’, an electronic system of obtaining feedback on the quality of service provided to customers. The trial proved a success and Customer Thermometer will be rolled out across the FHI in early 2015.

4. Priorities for 2015

The Fish Health Inspectorate has identified the following as priority areas for 2015:

• Completion of the Starfish database development.
• Replacement of paper based data collection with electronic collection using tablets (wireless portable computer using touch screen technology).
• Refreshing biosecurity advice and guidance particularly for managed fisheries.
• Improving passive surveillance through improved reporting of suspicion of listed diseases by stakeholders.
• Refreshing the FHI intelligence network.