Cefas News Release - Maximum Fine for Fish Smuggler
News release ref: 03/07
Date: 02 April 2007
Magistrates at Folkestone, Kent, fined a 63-year-old retired man from West Kingdown, Sevenoaks on 30 March for illegally importing more than
three-quarters of a tonne of live carp into the country from France. Graeme James Beith, who did not attend court, was fined the maximum amount
of £5,000 and ordered to pay full costs totalling £6,690.
The offence took place in November 2006 at Dover. Mr Beith had attempted to import 64 carp – each weighing between 25 lbs and 43 lbs – without
health certification. Fish health regulations require all imports of live fish to be accompanied by health certification.
The offence came to light as a result of HM Revenue and Customs activity. They handed the matter over to inspectors from the Centre for
Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), and officers from the State Veterinary Service were also involved in dealing with
the incident.
When stopped at the UK port Mr Beith denied buying anything in France but when his hired van was searched the carp were found. He later told
a Cefas investigator that he had collected the fish from an Englishman in Vitrey, France. Mr Beith said that a man in a public house in
Farningham, Kent, had paid him £800 to collect the fish from France.
Cefas investigator Stephen Maidment commented, “The circumstances of this case are almost identical to one in August last year, which leads us
to believe the same person or persons are behind these offences. We would ask anyone with information on this or any other case involving fish
smuggling to contact Cefas in strict confidence.”
The fish were humanely slaughtered to prevent the threat of disease. Samples taken from the consignment were later examined at the Cefas laboratories
in Weymouth, Dorset.
Notes for editors
1. Cefas is an internationally renowned scientific research and advisory establishment, based at Lowestoft since 1902. It also has laboratories
at Burnham-on-Crouch and Weymouth, and a number of other facilities around the UK. It is an executive agency of the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For more details visit the Cefas website: www.cefas.co.uk.
2. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), based at Cefas’ Weymouth laboratory, is dedicated to maintaining and improving fish and shellfish health in
England and Wales. Its primary role is to act for Defra and the National Assembly for Wales, Agriculture Department (NAWAD) in undertaking statutory
and inspection duties resulting from the EU Fish Health regime and other national legislation in the area of fish and shellfish health.
3. The Inspectorate is responsible for enforcing certification and licensing arrangements in respect of fish and shellfish from other countries and
runs a programme aimed at preventing the illegal importation of these animals.
4. For more about movement controls and enforcement, see www.cefas.co.uk/fhi/movements.htm.
Press contact:
Anne McClarnon: 01502 52 4370 / anne.mcclarnon@cefas.co.uk.
