Importing ornamental fish (FOI)

Request

​A

Please advise which permits, licences or other agreements are necessary by a local company to be able to import ornamental garden fish into the Island and which organisations or companies have the necessary permissions.

B

Please advise which permits, licences or other agreements are necessary to be able to ship, courier or transport ornamental garden fish into the Island and which organisations or companies have the necessary permissions.

C

Please advise which permits, licences or other agreements are also necessary in the supply chain enable the importation of ornamental garden fish into the Island (for example veterinary, inspection, exporting from country of origin) and which organisations or companies have the necessary permissions.

Response

A

Only companies with an Aquaculture Production Business (APB) Licence can apply to import ornamental garden fish. Under EU Legislation (Aquatic Animal Health) (Jersey) Regulations 2016, all APBs must be authorised by the Minister for the Environment.

​Information regarding the current APB licence holders is exempt under Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 as the information is accessible on www.gov.je  and can be accessed using the following link:

Fish and shellfish farming (gov.je)​

B

The Island has a high disease-free status which means that stock imported into Jersey must conform to strict rules to help protect this status and the export trade of the Jersey aquaculture industry. 

A specific import licence must be in place to import live fish, eggs, and gametes into Jersey. 

The import licence can only be applied for by companies with an APB licence. 

Please see above response for information regarding companies with APB licences.

C

A person importing live fish, live bivalve molluscs, eggs or gametes under the Animal Health (Importation of Miscellaneous Goods and Animals) (Jersey) Order 2017, Article 2(1)(b) must be in possession of a licence granted by the Minister or person appointed by the Minister to import into Jersey. 

To apply for an import licence, the importer will be required to supply their Aquaculture Production Business (APB) Authorisation number issued under the EU legislation (Aquatic Animal Health) (Jersey) Regulations 2016. 

The importer is advised to check with their supplier that the supplier is not under any restriction by the competent authority for any diseases. An officer may, refuse an application and by notice in writing, vary, revoke or suspend any import licence issued. 

Directive 2006/88/EC provides that cold water fish consignments must be accompanied by a completed animal health certificate where they are introduced into an approved zone/farm issued by a recognised official authority of the exporting country. 

The required animal health certificate is the “model health certificate for the placing on the market of aquaculture animals, from the UK, Isle of Man and Guernsey into Jersey, for farming, relaying, put and take fisheries, open ornamental facilities and restocking accompany the consignment”. 

Article applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

​(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.