Aquaculture Production Businesses: biosecurity measures plan

Overview

Operators of Aquaculture Production Businesses (APBs) are required to follow good bio-security practice at each farm site at which it operates, and must establish, maintain and comply with a Biosecurity Measures Plan (BMP) containing at least the information specified in paragraphs (a) to (f) below. The BMP must be made available by the operator of the APB or any staff engaged by or on behalf of that operator, upon request by an inspector.

The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) may be contacted for assistance in the production of your BMP(s). The FHI can be contacted by phone, email or in writing.

Minimum information required as part of a BMP:

(a) The manner and frequency in which mortalities will be removed, recorded and safely disposed of by the APB;

(b) The manner and period in which the APB will notify the Scottish Ministers or a veterinary professional of any increased or unexplained mortalities in aquaculture animals held on each farm site;

(c) The actions that will be taken by the APB in the event that the presence or suspicion of the presence of any listed disease is detected and how and when that will be notified to the Scottish Ministers;

(d) The minimum health status of aquaculture animals to be stocked on the farm site, to ensure that stocks being placed on the farm site shall only be sourced from farms of an equal or higher health status and where required, certified as such;

(e) The husbandry and biosecurity measures to be implemented between epidemiological units on the farm to ensure the transmission of fish diseases by the movement of staff, visitors, equipment and live or dead fish is minimised; and

(f) The measures that are in place at the farm site to maintain the physical containment of the aquaculture animals held on the farm site.