The Live Fish Movements Database has been successfully developedand implemented. It is based on an electronic fish farm database,containing registration details of fish farms in England and Wales,together with information on imports and transfers of live fish toand from these farms, previously developed and operated by CEFAS.
It contains all relevant information on fish farm registration,fish imports (from the EU and third countries), fish movements(internal farm transfers and introductions to inland waters), and thekeeping of non-native fish in England and Wales. This information waspreviously held separately, both electronically and as paper records,at various locations, by the above four organisations.
Successful execution of this project has been facilitated by amanagement board, on which all four partners (EA, MAFF, NAWAD andCEFAS) were represented. This has helped to forge closer and moremeaningful links between the partners and enabled a joined-upgovernment approach to implementing and enforcing the controls forpreventing the introduction and spread of serious fish diseases andnon-native species in England and Wales.
The sharing of information on all movements of fish provides anopportunity for more effective and consistent decision making. Itwill assist in preventing and detecting offences of fish thefts andillegal imports and bring us closer to our joint shared objectives ofprotecting fish, protecting the environment, preventing fish disease,and reducing fish-related crime.
