Aquaculture operations; application for approval or registration

If you breed, keep or rear fish, you are obliged to have your business registered or approved by your competent veterinary office without being asked.

"Aquaculture" is the rearing of aquatic animals for human consumption, whereby the animals remain the property of a natural or legal person throughout the entire rearing or husbandry process, including harvesting, with the exception of the harvesting or capture of wild aquatic animals, which are then kept temporarily without feeding until slaughter.

The following aquaculture businesses, among others, require approval from the competent veterinary office:

• Aquaculture businesses from which kept aquatic animals are to be moved, either alive or as a product of animal origin
• Other aquaculture businesses that pose a significant risk
• Quarantine establishments
• Vector farms
• Aquaculture for ornamental purposes in open systems

The application for approval must contain the following information

• Name and address of the operator
• Location and description of the establishment
• Species, category(ies) and quantity of animals kept on the farm
• Type of aquaculture business
• Other relevant aspects, such as
• • Water supply
  • Inflow volume
  • Description of the measures taken to prevent the spread of diseases
  • If applicable, information on the treatment of waste water

All other aquaculture businesses are generally required to register.

You must apply to the responsible Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (AELF) for the issue of a company number with the company type "fish farmer". Fish farmers who already have a 12-digit number, for example because they are also the operator of a farm or other livestock owner, must also register with the AELF and have the "fish farmer" farm type assigned to them. The application for approval or registration can only be submitted once this farm number has been assigned.

An aquaculture business must be approved or registered before commencing the respective activity.