New Crimestoppers partnership to fight illegal fish imports

Cefas’ Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) has teamed up with a number of its most influential partners to sponsor a new initiative, with the crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers, that will target illegal fish imports and the theft of expensive angling equipment. The project will go live on 17 May 2010.

Crimestoppers operates a telephone number (0800 555 111) and website (Crimestoppers-uk.org) to enable people to pass on information about crime anonymously. By providing complete anonymity it is hoped that the angling community will be encouraged to take more responsibility for their sport/business and report illegal activity.

The partnership includes many influential industry organisations, including the FHI, ECHO, the Angling Trust, Cemex, and the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA).

In recent months there has been increasing intelligence to suggest that organised criminal groups now view the illegal importation of live fish (and in particular carp) as a very lucrative business opportunity with relatively low associated risks. The profit margins are often substantial, with an illegally imported 50lb carp likely to be priced in the region of Ј20,000.

Stuart Katon, the FHI’s Enforcement and Investigations Officer, said: “We must step up our intelligence-led approach towards preventing illegal activity, working closely with other agencies to target organised groups. However in order to be successful we also need the support of the wider angling community.”

He continued: “Tell us what you know, use the security and anonymity of Crimestoppers and let us do the rest. We are determined to increase the pace in the fight against illegal importation. So greedy fishery owners and others involved, beware!”

Dave Cording, Crimestoppers’ Director of Operations said: “I can assure the angling community that anyone who provides Crimestoppers with information about crime will remain anonymous. Calls and online forms are not traced or recorded and no personal details will be taken. So if you have any information about illegal activity relating to the importation of fish and the theft of angling equipment, pass it on to Crimestoppers to help improve your community.”

More information about the importation of live fish may be found by visiting www.efishbusiness.co.uk/imports/default.asp. Or contact the Fish Health Inspectorate directly on 01305 206700 / fhi@cefas.co.uk

Stuart Katon can be contacted directly on 01305 20681 or 07771 977273.

Notes to editors

Cefas is the UK’s largest and most diverse applied marine science organisation. Bridging the interface between science, policy and delivery, it operates as an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It provides evidence-based scientific advice, manages related data and information, conducts world-class scientific research, and facilitates collaborative action through wide-ranging relationships. Working both in the UK and internationally, it plays a vital role in securing healthy marine and freshwater environments. It has over 500 staff, two UK laboratories (in Lowestoft and Weymouth), its own ocean-going research vessel, and over 100 years of experience. For more detail about its range of activities visit www.cefas.co.uk.
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 Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) 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. The Inspectorate is responsible for health certification of fish and shellfish movements from other countries, and runs an enforcement programme aimed at preventing the illegal importation of these animals. For more about movement controls and enforcement visit www.cefas.co.uk/fhi/movements.htm.
Callers to the Crimestoppers charity remain anonymous. All information is passed onto the police and, if appropriate the Fish Health Inspectorate, for investigation.
Smuggled fish pose a great risk of spreading disease to indigenous fish stocks and within native waters. Upon arrival in the UK, their original country of origin is often undetermined, and their health status and certification may also be uncertain. Simply deporting the fish back to their assumed country of origin does not stop repeated attempts to import them via another entry point.
The FHI and UK Border Agency recently intercepted a lorry with over 100 illegally imported live fish professionally packaged and with a market value in excess of Ј250,000. Fish can be purchased very cheaply from sites on the Continent, but almost none can be certified as being free from the diseases that are controlled in the UK. Some anglers are prepared to pay large daily tariffs to fishery owners in order to catch larger fish than would normally be available, and this means that there may be huge rewards for unscrupulous owners that deal with smuggled fish.

What happens when you phone 0800 555 111?

The caller will not be asked their name
There is no 1471 facility
Calls are not recorded or traced
The caller will speak with trained call handlers
No personal details of the caller will be taken
The caller will only be asked questions relating to the information they wish to be passed on
Callers will not have to visit a police station, be asked to make a statement or appear in court

Online

You can fill in an anonymous online Giving Information Form to give information online. Crimestoppers has provided some questions to help you tell them everything you know. The information will be sent over a secure internet connection which makes sure you, and your computer, are anonymous.

What about rewards?

Crimestoppers has also established a procedure that facilitates the payment of a reward whilst at the same time allowing the caller to remain anonymous. If your motivation is financial remuneration then when you call you will be given a code. If you are interested in collecting a reward, you will be asked to contact Crimestoppers again at a later date with your code, to establish if the information you have given has led to somebody being prosecuted.

Press contact:

Anne McClarnon (Cefas): 01502 524370 / anne.mcclarnon@cefas.co.uk