Fish Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Notification of disease

12.—(1) Any person who—

(a) knows of any observed abnormal mortality amongst bivalve molluscs in farms, farming areas, harvested natural beds, or purification centres or storage tanks which discharge water into the sea;

(b) knows of any symptom amongst fish or molluscs which might constitute grounds for suspecting the presence of a disease listed in Schedule 1; or

(c) has any other reason for suspecting the presence amongst fish or molluscs of a disease listed in Schedule 1;

shall notify the Department of that fact as quickly as possible.

(2) Any person who has in his possession or under his charge an infected item, or an item which he suspects is an infected item, shall detain it until—

(a) it has been examined by a veterinary inspector; or

(b) a veterinary inspector has instructed him to dispose of it.

(3) Where a veterinary inspector has given an instruction to any person under paragraph (2) to dispose of an infected item, or an item which is suspected of being infected, that person shall comply with that instruction.

(4) A veterinary inspector shall have powers to take such samples of or from fish or molluscs as may be necessary to establish whether a disease listed in Schedule 1 is present amongst fish or molluscs.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation—

“item” means a fish or mollusc or the carcase or part of the carcase of a fish or mollusc; and

“observed abnormal mortality” shall have the meaning it is given in Article 2 of Directive 95/70/EC.