Fish Health Background Information
Northern Ireland has a high fish health status due to natural factors such as its island location, temperate climate and low number of native species. Northern Ireland also has a history of strict controls on imports and enforcement of fish health legislative controls designed to prevent the introduction and spread of fish disease. Consequently it enjoys freedom from many of the transmissible diseases of salmonids.
Many of Northern Ireland's disease control measures are subject to the European Union's Fish Health Regime which sets firm rules throughout the Community to safeguard areas of proven health status such as Northern Ireland. These rules are based on import controls and disease containment measures and prohibit the import of fish from areas of lower health status.
DARD introduced the Aquatic Animal Health Regulations (NI) 2009 in March 2009. These regulations implement Council Directive 2006/88/EC on aquatic animal health.
Under the EU Fish Health Regime Northern Ireland has Approved Zone status in respect of the listed fish diseases Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS), Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) and Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) and from the listed shellfish diseases Bonamia (except in Lough Foyle and Strangford Lough) and Marteilia. Northern Ireland has also obtained Additional Guarantees in respect of the fish diseases Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC), Gyrodactylus Salaries (GS) and Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD).
DARD has also made a Declaration of a Category II Surveillance Programme with regard to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) – a newly listed disease under Council Directive 2006/88/EC. The aim is to achieve disease free status by 2012.
Disease status of Member States is set out in Commission Decision 2009/177/EC.
