PAPERWORK
Stocking Paperwork
There are some legal requirements and paperwork required to introduce fish into most waters within England and Wales.
It is a two-part process and requires submission of two forms to CEFAS and the Environment Agency (EA). Both are totally free of charge to carry out and once obtained run indefinitely unless there are specific site requirements, such as conservation sites, or the person / organisation that obtained the permits changes details.
Both applications can be completed by a person responsible for the sites management, such as an angling club leasing a water, or the actual owner. The named individual will be the point of contact for CEFAS or the EA should they ever need to make enquiries about any reported issues or update the permit holder with any legislative changes.
Step 1
CEFAS Fishery Registration Certificate
It is a requirement for all fisheries, both private or otherwise, and on-growing sites to be 'registered' with CEFAS. This is a straightforward process and normally only takes around 2 weeks once the application is submitted to CEFAS.
Once the registration certificate is obtained you can then proceed to the EA Live Fish permit application below as you will need your CEFAS registration number to complete the form fully.
It is important to be aware that this CEFAS registration certificate DOES NOT give you the correct legal permission to introduce fish into your water. Legal introductions can only be made once the EA permit below is obtained.
The RW1 form is available by clicking on the button here
Step 2
EA Live Fish Movements Site Permit
In January 2015 the legislation regarding stocking fish changed to the new EA live fish movements site permit system. Before applying for your EA permit the water must be registered with CEFAS as the EA will require your CEFAS registration numbers to process your application.
To apply for your Site Permit it is a simple case completing
the SP1 form that is available by clicking the button here
Should you have any questions or need advice then you can contact the Environment Agency Fish Movement Team on 0208 4745243 or email them via fmapplications@environment-agency.gov.uk.
This process can take between 2 – 4 weeks normally, although if your site is in a conservation area then this may be extended up to 8 weeks due to Natural England consultation times.
Please note that VS Fisheries will not supply any fish to private lake, fishery site or on growing site that does not have the CEFAS and Environment Agency paperwork in place.
When placing an order with us at VS Fisheries you will be required to provide us with a copy of your EA Live Fish Movements Permit so that we can check all is correct. We are required to meet certain permit conditions and recording the stocking on the CEFAS live fish database.
To apply for your Site Permit it is a simple case completing
the SP1 form that is available by clicking the button here
Stocking Ornamental & Garden Ponds
We get many requests to supply private garden ponds or fish tanks with our carp. We are authorised to do this, and the two permits above are not required by the customer.
The EA classifies a garden pond as follows and must meet ALL the following criteria;
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Less than 0.4 Hectares (1 acre)
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Not Fished by anyone including the owner
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Be fully enclosed (ie. no water inlet or outlet and not in a flood plain)
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Entirely within a residential property
If the pond does not meet all these criteria above, then they should be registered with CEFAS and the EA as detailed above.
FAQS
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When do you have fish available?Generally our harvest begins towards the end of October and runs through until late March assuming the weather permits. We generally harvest larger year classes (C3s to C7s) between late October and January with the C2 and C1 year classes during late January until March. We do not move fish in the warmer months due to the stress on the fish.
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Can you supply us with a quote?We are more than happy to provide a written quote to you if requested. In most circumstances this will be an estimated cost as we will only know the exact costs when the fish are weighed off at the time of delivery unless working to an agreed budget. Please use the Contact Us page and we will reply as soon as possible.
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Can I place an order if we don't have the EA permit in place?Yes you can but we will require a copy to be sent to us before the fish are delivered. Garden / Ornamental Pond orders do not need this permit but you must tick the Garden Pond box on the order form other wise we will assume the permit is required
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Can I request specific fish or add extra information when I order?You will find a "specific requirements" box on the online ORDER FORM This box allows you to add requests or more information about your order such as Scale Patterns you would like All mirrors No Commons Total Budget Delivery availability Would like to pick and collect
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Do I need to pay a deposit?We will normally require a deposit that is equal to 10% of the estimated fish value on all orders over £250 unless we are within 30 days of delivering the fish. Deposits for orders that are taken several months, or even years, in advance will be requested in the May before the delivery is due or within 3 weeks of the order date if after May. Whilst we will reserve the fish for you your order is not fully confirmed until we have received the deposit payment and a copy of your EA permit (if required).
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When will my fish be delivered?We harvest various year classes throughout the winter as we have multiple ponds of each so delivery may not be as soon as we start the harvest. As we have many customers every winter we try to arrange deliveries to a number of customers in a certain area on a given day. We try to give 7-10 days notice on delivery or collection dates.
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What do we need to have available on the day of delivery?We will always bring certified scales, a number of weigh slings and an unhooking mat with us. All of our equipment is sterilised before we arrive at your fishery. A few extra pairs of hands and some extra weigh / retaining slings are always useful, especially if we cannot get the vehicle close to the waters edge. Also a camera will be useful for the stocking pictures and any promo shots you may wish to take. Despite the cooler water temperatures when we deliver the fish can still be quite active. Due to this we advise that for stocking record images the fish are laid on the mat and then pictures taken of both sides. If you need promo shots then some held shots can be taken during the delivery. A note pad for recording weights and post-it notes to allow fish number / weight to be laid next to the fish for the photos will also be very useful.
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How do we pay for our fish?We accept payment of all invoices by the following methods Bank Transfer Cheques Cash Bank details will be on the invoice supplied at the time of delivery We DO NOT accept card payments All invoices must be paid on the day of delivery or collection. See our Terms and Conditions All orders sent out via courier delivery will be invoiced in advance and only dispatched once full payment is received
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Do you supply species other than Carp?We only supply Mirror carp and Common carp here at VS Fisheries. We do not produce ghost carp or other species such are grass carp. We are happy to advise you of other reputable fish suppliers that may sell the species you are after.