EC Directive 91/67/EEC and its relevance to disease in wild salmonids

Directive 91/67/EEC lays down the health conditions which from 1 January 1993, apply to the marketing of aquaculture animals and products within and between the 12 Member States of the EEC, and to their importation from countries outside the Community. The main purpose is to facilitate intra-Community trade whilst providing a common framework within which steps may be taken to prevent the introduction or spread of economically serious diseases of fish and shellfish. Although primarily aimed at preventing disease spread between aquaculture operations, these measures also take into account the risk of transfer of disease from farmed to wild populations and vice versa. For salmonids, there will be protection for areas (‘approved zones’) of the Community which are free of the List II diseases. Supplies of live fish (whether of farm or wild origin) of species susceptible to these diseases to any farm or natural waters in these zones will be allowed only from sources in other approved zones elsewhere in the Community. Dead fish (of the susceptible species) originating from non-approved zones must be eviscerated before marketing in an approved zone. Additional health guarantees may apply for areas free from one or more of certain other (List III) diseases, e.g. infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN), bacterial kidney disease (BKD), furunculosis and Gyrodactylosis, or when a voluntary or compulsory control programme is in force for the disease(s) in question. Importation of live salmonids and their ova or salmonid carcasses from outside the Community will be restricted to those originating from countries (or parts of those countries) with a satisfactory fish health situation (particularly the absence of List I diseases) and which have import controls and disease monitoring/control measures for both farmed and wild fish, to a standard at least equivalent to that operating within the Community.