The Fish Health Inspectorate has updated the list of permitted species that can be imported into England and Wales.
It is responsible for enforcing the Import of Live Fish Act and produce a list of freshwater ornamental fish genera that can be traded and kept.
A spokesman said: “Where not all members of a genus can be legally kept, this list will indicate either which species within a genus can be kept, or those which can not.”
All importers, wholesalers, retailers and keepers are reminded that:
> Only pure-bred Florida and Cuban gars can be imported into England and Wales. Importers need to be certain that any animals that they import are not misnamed or of a hybrid form
> The import of non-native crayfish other than the red claw (Cherax quadricarinatus) is prohibited. Quadricarinatus is the only permitted species in England and Wales
> No live ornamental crayfish or lobsters can be sold or kept in Scotland.
The Inspectorate has advised the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association that it has seen other crayfish species being labelled as C. quadricarinatus by suppliers.
The Inspectorate spokesman added: “Importers need to be careful to ensure they do not illegally import other species, given that imports of non-permitted species such as the Mexican dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus spp) and Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus carkii) have been found being imported under false names.
“If importers have any doubt as to whether a species is a permitted species, they should contact the FHI before importing that species.”
If the FHI believes there has been ‘a deliberate attempt to import prohibited species’, importers could face prosecution or revocation of their authorisation to import.
