National
Press Office - 20-Aug-2008 - Fisheries and
fish suppliers are benefiting from changes
the Environment Agency is making to the
way it controls harmful fish parasites.
Paul Lidgett, Fisheries
Policy Advisor at the Environment Agency,
said: “Over the past year our scientists
have established a new process to assess
the risks parasites pose to fisheries.
“This allows us to assess
the risk of new parasites to fisheries and
those we already control. We can establish
which parasites pose little or no risk and
remove controls on them to help reduce the
costs on fisheries and fish suppliers. The
assessment also helps us take rapid action
to apply controls and prevent spread where
new parasites are detected which do pose
a threat.”
One project looked at
the fish parasite Neoergasilus japonicus,
a crustacean that infects the skin of a
wide range of coarse fish and salmonids.
The parasite, which first appeared in fisheries
in the early 11000s, is currently classed
as a Category 2 parasite. This means strict
controls are placed on where infected fish
can be moved to and can only be stocked
into totally enclosed waters with no risk
of escape.
However, as a result
of research work by the Environment Agency,
from 1 September 2008, Neoergasilus japonicus
will be removed from the list of Category
2 controlled pathogens. This change could
benefit the fish supply industry to the
tune of £100,000 and free up fish
for sale from many restricted waters.
Paul Lidgett continued:
“Our decision was independently peer-reviewed
by a panel of scientists and independent
fish health experts. The group concluded
that Neoergasilus japonicus does not pose
a significant threat to fish stocks, either
at an individual host or population level.
“The change to the parasite
list enables us to focus on more significant
threats and will help us strengthen the
controls we have in place. By critically
assessing each Category 2 parasites we are
increasing credibility of the list. The
project has also shown that there is a real
need for other parasites to remain on the
Category 2 list and be strictly controlled.”
Mike Heylin of the Fisheries
and Angling Conservation Trust said: “The
work now done by the Environment Agency
is strengthening the control of fish parasites.
The removal of those that don't cause harm
and the assessment of new threats can only
help protect our fisheries by allowing the
Environment Agency and fisheries managers
to concentrate on those which do cause fish
problems."
In the last year, the
fish health team at the Environment Agency
has also:
detected fish parasites
new to England and Wales and assessed the
need for controls on them;
investigated cases of swollen vents (Red
Vent) in salmon;
investigated specific disease problems on
stillwater fisheries;
developed new guidance to prevent fish disease
outbreaks;
produced guidance for the identification
of Category 2 parasites;
expanded our work on fish deaths;
investigated the disease potential of some
non-native fish populations;
assessed the fish disease threat climate
change may bring to our fisheries;
supported the work to improve fish movement
legislation through the Marine Bill.
Further information
can be found at www.efishbusiness.co.uk
and for more information about the Environment
Agency’s fisheries work, visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fishing.
Category 2 parasites
include those fish parasites and diseases
that the Environment Agency considers to
pose a known or potential threat to native
fish stocks in England and Wales. They are
all non-native parasites, and include those
which have entered the country in recent
decades and have become established in some
waters.
+ More
Environment Agency pull
the plug on packaging non-compliance
Ben Ashmore - 19-Aug-2008
- On the 18 August 2008, Lakes Bathroom
Limited was found guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates
Court to six charges of non-compliance with
packaging regulations.
The charges were brought
by the Environment Agency under the Producer
Responsibility Obligation (Packaging Waste)
Regulations. Lakes Bathroom Limited was
fined £2000 and ordered to pay costs
of £1,500 as well as £1,544
compensation.
For the Environment
Agency, Jill Crawford told the court that
Lakes Bathroom Ltd are an importer and distributor
of bathroom and shower equipment. They are
required to observe specific rules relating
to the recovery and recycling of packaging
as set out in the Regulations. This involves
registering with an appropriate Agency and
recycling or recovering a set amount of
packaging. They are also required to supply
proof that this has been carried out.
On the 7 January 2008,
the Environment Agency sent a letter to
Lakes Bathroom Ltd advising them to register
under the regulations.
During an interview
with the Environment Agency on the 21 February
2008, Lakes Bathroom Ltd confirmed that
they had registered in 2008 after consulting
with a compliance scheme. However, they
admitted that they had not registered in
2006 or 2007, had no evidence of recovering
or recycling packaging waste and had not
provided any Agency with a certificate of
compliance. Lakes Bathroom Ltd accepted
that they should have been registered for
each of the years when the company handled
over 50 tonnes of packing and had a turnover
of over £2m.
Speaking after the case
Hannah Wooldridge, an Environment Agency
Officer involved in the investigation said:
“This case highlights the need for businesses
to keep abreast of Environmental Regulations
as a routine part of their business. Lakes
Bathrooms Ltd fell foul of the Regulations
due to their rapid growth, and were unaware
that the regulations applied to them by
virtue of their growing turnover. The Environment
Agency does provide guidance on the requirements
of the regulations and how to stay on the
right side of the law on our website. The
Regulations may apply to companies who manufacture,
convert, fill or sell packaging and also
to importers of goods with packaging.”
Hannah continued: “Basically,
any company with a turnover of over £2
million pounds and handling over 50 tonnes
of packaging per annum may be obligated
and should seek advice to ensure compliance
with the Regulations. We have a very active
team seeking out companies who should be
registered under the Regulations and may
take action against companies who are non
compliant.“
In mitigation, the company
stated it was unaware and did not understand
the regulations but had sought advice upon
being contacted by the Environment Agency
on the 1 November 2007.
