Fish and shellfish farming

​​​​​Fish farming concessions are mainly in the east and south east of the Island's intertidal and subtidal zone, due to the favourable topography and tidal range.​

Report a disease

You must notify us immedicately because notifiable diseases can be passed to people or have significant economic impacts.

List of notifiable diseases for fish, molluscs and crustacea

Jersey has a high health status for fish, molluscs and crustacean diseases.

If you suspect disease immediately call +44 (0) 1534 441600.

Links for the diseases below are from World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Diseases	Species affected	Last confirmed case in Jersey
Fish diseases​
Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis	Rainbow trout and redfin perch	Declared free
Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS)	Herring, whitefish, pike, haddock, Pacific cod, Atlantic cod, Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, rockling, brown trout, turbot, sprat, grayling and olive flounder	Declared free
Infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN)	Chum salmon, coho salmon, masu salmon, rainbow or steelhead trout, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, chinook salmon and Atlantic salmon	Declared free
Koi herpes virus (KHV) disease	Common carp and koi carp	Undetermined but last confirmed case in 2016
Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) in respect of infection with genotype HPR-deleted of the genus Isavirus (ISAV)	Rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, brown and sea trout	Declared free
Bacterial kidney disease (BKD)	Family: Salmonidae	Declared free
Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN)	Rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, Atlantic salmon and whitefish	Declared free
Infection with gyrodactylus salaris	Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, Arctic char, North American brook trout, grayling, North American lake trout and brown trout	Declared free
Spring viraemia in carp (SVC)	Bighead carp, goldfish, crucian carp, grass carp, common carp and koi carp, silver carp, sheatfish and tench, orfe	Declared free
Mollusc diseases
Infection with Bonamia exitiosa	Australian mud oyster and Chilean flat oyster	Declared free
Infection with Bonamia ostreae	Australian mud oyster, Chilean flat oyster, Olympia flat oyster, Asiatic oyster, European flat oyster, Argentinian oyster	Eradication programme and last confirmed case in 2020
Infection with Marteilia refringens	Australian mud oyster, Chilean flat oyster, European flat oyster, Argentinian oyster, Blue mussel and Mediterranean mussel	Declared free
Infection with Microcytos mackini	Pacific oyster, Eastern oyster, Olympia flat oyster, European flat oyster	Declared free
Infection with Perkinsus marinus	Pacific oyster and Eastern oyster	Declared free
Crustacean diseases
Taura syndrome	Gulf white shrimp, Pacific blue shrimp and Pacific white shrimp	Declared free
Yellowhead disease	Gulf brown shrimp, Gulf pink shrimp, Gulf white shrimp, Pacific blue shrimp, Kuruma prawn, black tiger shrimp, Pacific white shrimp	Declared free
White spot disease	All decapod crustaceans (order Decapoda)	Undetermined

Ostreid herpesvirus 1 µvar (OsHV-1 µvar)

Ostreid herpesvirus 1 µvar is not a notifiable disease in Jersey.

The Island is not recognised as free for Ostreid herpesvirus 1 µvar. Although known or suspected increased mortality has occurred or is occurring in aquaculture animals has to be reported.

Disease investigation and control

The Animal Health and Welfare team is responsible for investigating and controlling diseases.

If we suspect a listed or emerging disease we’ll:

1. make an Initial Designation Notice. This is to prevent further spread of disease from the affected area. It will restrict movements of fish or shellfish and apply extra biosecurity measures if required. These notices are not made public
2. carry out a disease investigation which includes collecting samples to test for the disease. Depending on the tests required it can take 14 days or more to receive the results from the laboratory. We’ll advise the site operator on what to expect and keep them informed of progress

If the tests are negative and listed or emerging disease is ruled out, we’ll lift the Initial Designation Notice.

If a listed disease is confirmed we’ll:

• make a Confirmed Designation Notice This is a legal order restricting movements of aquatic animals into, out of and within the affected area to prevent or limit the spread of the disease from the affected area. The notice will be published on gov.je and signs may be put up in the affected area to inform the public
• if needed, put further controls in place to restrict:
• vehicle and equipment movements
• site activities such as disposal of waste
• any other activity that could spread the disease
• if needed, put extra biosecurity measures in place such as use of on-site equipment disinfection
• investigate where the disease came from and whether it has spread. We’ll put controls on sites where the disease could have spread from or to, to prevent or limit further spread. For example, when fish or shellfish have been moved or there are water and equipment connections. These sites are also investigated on suspicion of listed disease

We can lift the Confirmed Designation Notice only when we’re satisfied that the disease is no longer present in the affected area. This can include that we:

• supervise the stock cull, site clearance and disinfection
• complete satisfactory monitoring and retest programme which can be up to 4 years. Any re-occurrence of the disease during that period means the programme must be restarted
  

Prevent the introduction and spread of listed diseases

Prevention is the best approach to disease control.

To protect fish and shellfish:

• be vigilant about stock health and husbandry
• follow strict biosecurity practices. All authorised aquaculture production business must follow an approved biosecurity measures plan. Find further guidance on Biosecurity Measure Plans on GOV.UK
  
• follow the regulatory requirements. This includes making sure your business is registered with us or authorised and importing stock only under a licence issued by the animal health and welfare team
• know the health status of the animals you buy or move
• quickly report any health concerns to the animal health and welfare team, including suspicion of listed disease in fish and shellfish

Current outbreaks of notifiable diseases

If a notifiable disease is confirmed, Natural Environment (NE) puts controls in place to limit the spread of disease or eraditate it. These are known as confirmed designations.

A confirmed designation was made for the shellfish Bonamia ostreae on 6 March 2020.

Notice of confirmed designation for Bonamia ostreae 

If your fish or shellfish are in a confirmed designation, you must:

• comply with any conditions issued by NE
• get written permission from NE to move fish or shellfish and equipment. Allow at least 5 working days for us to process your request
  

New concessions

Natural Environment is responsible for administration and control of the fish farming industry. As crown land is used by the industry it is necessary to ensure wide and comprehensive consultation before a new concession is granted. Those consulted include:

• the Fisheries and Marine Resources Panel
• Jersey Harbours
• the Natural Environment section of the Department of the Environment 
• members of the public

Fish farm licence application form

Marine shellfis​​h farming

The Pacific Oyster, 'crassostrea gigas', currently forms the backbone of the industry with production equalling 3 quarters of the total production in the UK.

Other species being farmed or have previously been farmed are:

• the mussel, 'mytilus edulis'
• the scallop, 'pecten maximus'
• the ormer, 'haliotis tuberculata'

Importati​​on of stock

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

You must have an import licence if you import:

• live fish
• live bivalve molluscs
• eggs
  
• gametes

To apply for an import licence, you need to provide your Aquaculture Production Business (APB) Authorisation number.​

Application to import live fish, live bivalve molluscs, eggs and gametes​

You must also complete the import notification form a minimum of 1 working day prior to scheduled arrival into Jersey.

Notification form to import aquatic animals​

For further information email the Animal Health and Welfare Team at rva@gov.je.​

Aquaculture production businesses (APB)

Under EU Legislation (Aquatic Animal Health) (Jersey) Regulations 2016, all APBs must be authorised by the Minister for the Environment.

APBs usually include:

• finfish farms
• shellfish farms
• crustacean farms

Find below the Public Register of the Authorised APBs in Jersey.

Fish

​Jersey Freshwater Angling Association

Le Marquand Brothers Limited

Pure Pond

Molluscs

Bay Shellfish

Island Dived Scallop

Jersey Oyster Company

La Rocque Fisheries

Seymour Oyster​​

It's an offence to operate an aquaculture production business without valid authorisation.

Shell​​fish monitoring

To ensure food safety is monitored in accordance with EU legislation, the Department of the Environment funds and carries out sampling programmes of Jersey's farmed shellfish harvesting industry.

Classifica​tion of shellfish harvesting areas

The production areas for bivalve molluscs in Jersey are detailed below. These are controlled by Annex II of Regulation 854/2004.

Classification of bivalve molluscs production areas in Jersey 2025 to 2026

Sanitary s​urveys

Under EU regulations an assessment of sources of pollution must be undertaken and a sampling plan established for all new shellfish harvesting areas.

Jersey offshore scallops sanitary survey

Shellfish harvesting areas: sanitary survey

Classified areas scallops map

Extension of the La Hurel bivalve mollusc production area 2015

Extension of the La Hurel main bed north and south bivalve mollusc production areas 2017

Biotox​​in monitoring

Information relating to official control biotoxin testing of live bivalve molluscs within classified areas in Jersey.

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2025

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2024​

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2023

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2022

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2021

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2020

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2019

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2018

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2017

Live bivalve molluscs biotoxin monitoring results 2016

​Phyto​​​plankton monitoring

This is carried out by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Water samples are collected from designated shellfish growing areas. They are then analysed, by light microscopy, for various species of phytoplankton.

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2025​

Water toxic algae monitoring resu​lts 2024

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2023

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2022

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2021

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2020

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2019

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2018

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2017

Water toxic algae monitoring results 2016