Fish and shellfish farm authorisation

Your legal obligation

The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 requires the authorisation of all aquaculture businesses - fish and shellfish farms - which are now known as aquaculture production businesses (APBs). This replaced previous legistation which required fish and shellfish farms to be registered.

By being authorised you are required, as the business owner or operator, to meet the minimum record keeping and biosecurity standards. The overall purpose of authorisation is to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious disease within the UK.

All new fish and shellfish farms are required to apply for authorisation before any development takes place.

How to apply for authorisation

To apply for authorisation please use the AW1 form. If you are planning a new farm, only complete sections 1 and 4 of the form and submit this to the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) at the Cefas Laboratory, Weymouth.

Certain details of the farming operation will form part of the authorsation, including:

the species to be cultivated
the number and type of holding facilities
the location of the farm (OS grid reference)

Therefore when completing section 4 of the AW1 form ensure you include these.

Once the FHI receive your form, they will send you guidance on the specific requirements you must address before authorisation is granted. Finally, the FHI will make a site inspection before any fish or shellfish are introduced. If everything is in place you will be issued a certificate of authorisation.

Changes to an existing APB

When there will be a change to your APBs information, you must notify the FHI before those changes take place using the AW1 form. The FHI require notification for the following changes:

change of owner or operator
changes to the species being farmed
changes in the number of tanks, ponds or other holding facilities