Guidance

Prevent fish or shellfish diseases

Reduce the risk of disease, find out where notifiable diseases have been found and what to do if your fish or shellfish have a disease.

Published 16 May 2014
Last updated 31 January 2018 — see all updates

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, and Environment Agency

• Applies to: England and Wales

Each year thousands of fish and shellfish die from disease. Recovering from an outbreak can take a long time and can be very expensive.

Serious fish and shellfish diseases

You must tell the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) if fish or shellfish:

• could be infected with a serious or notifiable disease
• are dying in larger numbers or dying in a way you haven’t seen before

Prevent the spread of disease in fish and shellfish

You can help control the spread of disease if you:

• follow rules for imports
• perform regular monitoring to spot disease early
• contain outbreaks as quickly as possible
• use good fish husbandry practice
• follow rules when moving fish

• keep health records using the Finfish biosecurity logbook (PDF, 123KB, 7 pages)

• keep medicine records using the Aquatic animal medicine record book (PDF, 254KB, 52 pages)

• follow a biosecurity measures plan:

  • Shellfish biosecurity measures plan (PDF, 500KB, 28 pages)

  • Finfish biosecurity measures plan (PDF, 325KB, 32 pages)

  • Importer biosecurity measures plan (PDF, 244KB, 36 pages)

Control areas for notifiable disease outbreaks

If a notifiable disease is found, FHI puts controls in place to limit the spread of disease (these areas are known as confirmed designations).

If your fish or shellfish are in a control area you must:

• comply with any conditions issued by FHI
• get written permission from FHI to move fish or equipment (allow at least 5 working days)

Fish

Maps of areas with controls in place to limit the spread of spring viraemia of carp (SVC):

2017

• Warwickshire: Arden Lakes (PDF, 668KB, 3 pages)

Maps of areas with controls in place to limit the spread of koi herpesvirus disease (KHV):

2017

• East Sussex: Swanborough Fishing Lakes (PDF, 657KB, 3 pages)

• Surrey: The Lakeside (PDF, 1010KB, 3 pages)

• East Yorkshire: Risby Park Fisheries (PDF, 690KB, 3 pages)

• Kent: Mansfield Lake (PDF, 627KB, 3 pages)

• Staffordshire: Meadows Fishery and Manor Park Fishery (PDF, 854KB, 3 pages)

• Lancashire: Bannister House Fishery (PDF, 764KB, 3 pages)

• Humberside: Newlake (PDF, 709KB, 3 pages)

• West Yorkshire: Tyersal Hall Fishery (PDF, 636KB, 3 pages)

• Hertfordshire: Willows Farm Fishery (PDF, 851KB, 3 pages)

• East Yorkshire: Sam Hosticks Fisheries (PDF, 670KB, 3 pages)

• Lancashire: Cleveley Bridge Fishery Complex (PDF, 851KB, 3 pages)

• Kent: Danson Park (PDF, 1.18MB, 3 pages)

• Hertfordshire: Frogmore Fishery (PDF, 728KB, 3 pages)

• Berkshire: Windsor View Lakes (PDF, 565KB, 3 pages)

• Derbyshire: Birch House Lakes (PDF, 511KB, 3 pages)

• Shropshire: Monkhall Fishery (PDF, 460KB, 3 pages)

• Berkshire: Lea Farm Lakes (PDF, 791KB, 3 pages)

• London: Hampstead Heath Ponds (PDF, 1.83MB, 3 pages)

• Essex: White Shots Reservoir (PDF, 662KB, 3 pages)

• Lancashire: The Cunneries (PDF, 754KB, 3 pages)

• Northamptonshire: Boating Lake (PDF, 1MB, 3 pages)

• Essex: Cleverley Mare (PDF, 817KB, 3 pages)

• Cambridge: Manderson Trust Lakes (PDF, 618KB, 3 pages)

2016

• South Yorkshire: Lodge Farm Fisheries (PDF, 416KB, 3 pages)

• Staffordshire: Coppice Lane Pools (PDF, 438KB, 3 pages)

Shellfish

You can use an interactive map (Desktop. Mobile) to view shellfish disease controls across Great Britain.

Alternatively below are individual maps of control areas of each disease:

Bonamia ostreae

• Anglesey and Caernarfonshire (PDF, 1.13MB, 3 pages)

• Cornwall and Devon (PDF, 1020KB, 3 pages)

• Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex (PDF, 1.16MB, 3 pages)

• Kent and Essex (PDF, 1.46MB, 3 pages)

• Pembrokeshire (PDF, 1.01MB, 3 pages)

Oyster herpesvirus

• Essex and Kent (PDF, 613KB, 3 pages)

• Poole Harbour Dorset (PDF, 4.09MB, 3 pages)

• River Teign, Devon (PDF, 1.99MB, 3 pages)

Marteilia refringens

• River Tamar, Cornwall and Devon (PDF, 385KB, 4 pages)

Contacts

Fish Health Inspectorate

Email fhi@cefas.co.uk

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm 01305 206700

Environment Agency

PO Box 544


Rotherham
Yorkshire
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm 0370 8506 506

From outside the UK +44 1709 389 201

Published 16 May 2014
Last updated 31 January 2018 + show all updates

1. 31 January 2018 Confrimed Designations from 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014 and some of the sites in 2016. They list has been removed from this page and has been moved to the press release page 'Outbreaks of Koi herpesvirus disease' and added to the list of finished outbreaks. And the CD for Manderson Trust Lakes from 2017 attachment has been included.
2. 9 November 2017 Added Cleverley Mare, Essex
3. 13 October 2017 Added Boating Lake, Northamptonshire
4. 30 September 2017 Added White Shots Reservoir, Essex and The Cunneries, Lancashire
5. 28 September 2017 Added Hampstead Heath Ponds, London
6. 25 September 2017 Added Lea Farm Lakes, Berkshire
7. 15 September 2017 Removed The Jungle, Derbyshire
8. 8 September 2017 Added Windsor View Lakes, Berkshire
9. 7 September 2017 Added Danson Park, Kent; The Jungle, Derbyshire and Frogmore Fishery, Hertfordshire
10. 16 August 2017 Added Cleveley Bridge Fishery Complex, Lancashire
11. 15 August 2017 Added Sam Hosticks Fisheries, East Yorkshire
12. 12 August 2017 Added Willows Farm Fishery, Hertfordshire Removed Porton Ventures, Wiltshire
13. 10 August 2017 Added Tyersal Hall Fishery, West Yorkshire
14. 9 August 2017 Added Newlake, Humberside
15. 5 August 2017 Added Bannister House Fishery, Lancashire
16. 4 August 2017 Added Porton Ventures UK Ltd
17. 3 August 2017 Added Meadows Fishery and Manor Park Fishery, Staffordshire
18. 28 July 2017 Added Mansfield Lake, Kent
19. 26 July 2017 Added designation notice for Risbey Park Fisheries, Beverley
20. 25 July 2017 Added The Lakeside, Surrey
21. 20 July 2017 Added East Sussed: Swanborough Fishing Lake
22. 27 April 2017 Added details for SVC at Arden Lakes, Warwickshire
23. 9 December 2016 Removed confirmed designations for: Gorsty Hall Fishing Lakes (Cheshire), Coopers Arms Lake and Weston Moat Fishery (Derbyshire), Frant Lakes (East Sussex), Morehall Fishery (South Yorkshire), Tin Mill Dam (South Yorkshire), Henstead Fishing Lakes (Suffolk), Crossways Business Park (Kent), Barford Lakes (Norfolk), and Willinghurst Fisheries (Surrey).
24. 18 November 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Lodge Farm Fisheries, South Yorkshire.
25. 4 November 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Curborough Fishery, Staffordshire
26. 29 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Coppice Lane Pools, Staffordshire
27. 28 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for The Hunstrete Fishery, Avon
28. 27 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Knightsland Farm Lake, Essex
29. 25 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Melton Ponds, Norfolk
30. 20 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Ash Grove Lake, Derbyshire
31. 12 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Kiverton Farm Fisheries, South Yorkshire
32. 11 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Five House Farm Reservoir, Hertfordshire
33. 11 October 2016 Added a revised oyster herpesvirus confirmed designation which covers Kent and Essex.
34. 7 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Thorpe Lea Fishery, Surrey
35. 5 October 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Fields Farm Fishery, Cheshire
36. 30 September 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Portland Fishing Lakes, Nottinghamshire
37. 22 September 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Jacobs Water, Nottinghamshire
38. 21 September 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Bells Mill Fisheries, West Midlands
39. 19 September 2016 Added designation for Manea Pit, Cambridgeshire
40. 16 September 2016 Added confirmation note for Frisby Water Park, Leicestershire
41. 15 September 2016 Added designation note for Packington Somers Fishery
42. 9 September 2016 Added the confirmation for Cromwell Lake, Cambridgeshire
43. 6 September 2016 Added confirmation details for Ferens Lake, East Yorkshire
44. 2 September 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designations for Mallory Park Fishery, Leicestershire, and Hayfield Fishery, South Yorkshire
45. 19 August 2016 Added KHV confirmed designation for Heron Pond, Nottinghamshire
46. 18 August 2016 Added KHV confirmed designation for Corner House Farm Lake, Staffordshire
47. 16 August 2016 Updated all confirmed designations for Oyster herpesvirus and Bonamia ostreae with a new condition.
48. 9 August 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Fleetwood Reservoir, Lancashire
49. 4 August 2016 Add KHV disease confirmed designations for Aston Park, South Yorkshire, and The Barns, Cornwall
50. 2 August 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Albert Park Lake, North Yorkshire
51. 29 July 2016 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Bierley Woods Waters, West Yorkshire
52. 22 July 2016 Added KHV confirmed designation for The Glebe Lakes, Leicestershire
53. 18 July 2016 Removed KHV confirmed designation for Maidenhead Aquatics, Greater London
54. 14 July 2016 Added KHV confirmed designations for Greater London and Lincolnshire
55. 8 July 2016 CD03/2016 added
56. 7 July 2016 CD02/2016
57. 7 July 2016 CD01/2016 - site no longer under any official disease controls
58. 24 June 2016 New KHV confirmed designation: Shuttleworth College Fish Farm, Bedfordshire
59. 4 January 2016 Confirmed designations for KHV removed on Whitevane Pond, Jeagor Farm, Boat Shed Pool, Ferens Lake, Brocket Hall, Noak Hill Fishery, and The Duckery
60. 24 November 2015 Added confirmed designation for Oyster herpesvirus at River Teign, Devon
61. 26 October 2015 Revised Bonamia ostreae confirmed designations
62. 15 October 2015 Added extension to Oyster Herpesvirus Confirmed Designation in Kent
63. 8 October 2015 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Ellis Lake Fishery, Essex. Added conditions to the confirmed designation for Marteilia.
64. 28 September 2015 Added KHV disease confirmed designations for Lake Ross, Woodlands Fishery, and Bourne Farm Pond in Lincolnshire
65. 16 September 2015 Added KHV disease confirmed designation for Thornborough Pond, Northumberland
66. 3 September 2015 Added KHV confirmed designation for Washing Pool, Worcestershire
67. 1 September 2015 Amended Oyster herpesvirus confirmed designation in Kent
68. 24 August 2015 Added KHV confirmed designation for Railway Lakes, Cambridgeshire
69. 13 August 2015 New KHV outbreak confirmed in West Yorkshire
70. 13 August 2015 Ruddy Pond Lakes confirmed designation added.
71. 7 August 2015 Added KHV designation for Morgans & Woodstock Ponds, Gwent
72. 6 August 2015 Added confirmed designation for KHV at Bankend Fisheries, South Yorkshire
73. 29 July 2015 Updated Oyster Herpesvirus confirmed designations for Poole Harbour, Dorset, and Whitstable Bay, Kent
74. 22 July 2015 Removed River Crouch, Blackwater and Colne confirmed designation and replaced it with a single designation which also includes the River Roach.
75. 9 April 2015 Removed KHV confirmed designations for Burton Farm Fisheries, Church Pond, Kingsdown Road Flash and Canvey Lake
76. 8 December 2014 Removed confirmed designation for Abbey Waters, Norfolk
77. 2 December 2014 Removed confirmed designations for Bradshaw Hall, Risby Park, Cuckoo Mere and Bee Fold Fishery.
78. 1 December 2014 Removed confirmed designation for Aldercar Lane Fishery Lakes, Nottinghamshire, and Alcott Farm Fishery, Worcestershire
79. 27 October 2014 Added new confirmed designation for KHV in Staffordshire
80. 2 October 2014 Added confirmed designation for KHV in Wiltshire
81. 18 September 2014 Added Wellow Dam KHV confirmed designation
82. 3 September 2014 Updated Trinity Waters confirmed designation
83. 2 September 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
84. 1 September 2014 Added two KHV confirmed designations for Essex
85. 28 August 2014 Confirmed Designation added for Haddon Lakes, Cambridgeshire.
86. 20 August 2014 New 'notice of confirmed designation' inserted under the Shellfish/Oyster Herpesvirus heading for the River Crouch.
87. 15 August 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
88. 12 August 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
89. 11 August 2014 Added 3 KHV confirmed designations
90. 7 August 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
91. 6 August 2014 Added confirmed designation for KHV
92. 1 August 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
93. 30 July 2014 Added KHV confirmed designation
94. 25 July 2014 Added Bonehill Mill Fishery Confirmed KHV Designation
95. 11 July 2014 Confirmed designation added
96. 10 July 2014 Added confirmed designation notice and map
97. 16 May 2014 First published.