Aquaculture operation; application for permit or registration.

An "aquaculture business" is any business that engages in an activity related to the breeding, keeping or holding of fish.

Independent of whether in the main business, sideline or additional business or privately as a hobby need

• Aquaculture enterprises, which produce set fish or deliver food fish in larger quantities (also supraregional) as well as
• processing plants, in which fish from aquacultures are killed in the context of disease control,

a permit from the competent veterinary office.

The application for a permit must contain the following information:

• Name and address of the operator
• Location and size of the facility
• Number of ponds
• Water supply
• Inflow rate
• Animal species kept and their use
• Demonstration of the measures taken to prevent the spread of disease
• If applicable, information on the treatment of wastewater

For the following establishments there is only a registration obligation with the competent veterinary office:

• Establishments that keep fish that are not intended to be placed on the market, e.g. Zoological establishments
• Establishments that supply fish from their own aquaculture in small quantities (the direct supply of small (household) quantities includes self-reared fish supplied as live, slaughtered or processed food fish) exclusively for human consumption directly to the end consumer or to local retail establishments (no intermediate trade) as well as
• operators of angling ponds (ponds in which fish are stocked exclusively for recreational angling).

For the notification of the operation, the following information must be provided:

• Name and address of the operator
• Location and size of the facility
• Number of ponds
• Water supply
• Inflow rate
• Fish species kept and their use

You must apply to the relevant Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry for the issuance of a farm number with the farm type "fish farmer". Fish farmers who already have a 12-digit number, because they are, for example, at the same time also operators of a farm or other livestock farmers, must also register with the Office of Food, Agriculture and Forestry and be assigned the farm type "fish farmer" in addition. Only after this farm number has been assigned can the application for approval or registration be submitted.

The fish disease regulation does not apply

• to fish kept in aquaria for ornamental purposes only and
• to wild fish fished or caught for direct use as food.

Operating an aquaculture operation without an official permit or without registration is subject to a fine.

Approval and registration of a fish farm must be obtained before the start of the respective activity.