A study is underway to find out about the impact of anglers moving between venues on the spread of fish diseases such as Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) and Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC).
The survey is being carried out by government agency CEFAS, who are hoping to shed light on the level of risk posed by anglers’ wet nets in particular.
A CEFAS spokeswoman said: “Our online survey (found at http://goo.gl/IDHntK) only takes a few minutes to complete and asks no personal questions. The information we receive could help safeguard fish, and the sport, in the future. So it’s in anglers’ interest to take part.
“We also hope to use the information to update our advice for anglers, to help them to protect fisheries from disease.”
The survey will close on 31 March 2014.
Total-Fishing.com understands work is also underway to introduce a new generation of nets to the angling world that could help dramatically cut the risk of anglers spreading fish killing bacteria on nets.
For more information and guidance about fish diseases, visit www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/forms/guidelines-list/