Division I.1

General requirements for health inspections and sampling for VHS and IHN:

1. (a)

   the health inspections and, where appropriate, the sampling shall be carried out during the period of the year when the water temperature is below 14 °C or whenever the water temperature is likely to reach its lowest annual points;

2. (b)

   when targeted surveillance in wild populations is required in accordance with the second paragraph of point 2 of Part I of Annex V to Directive 2006/88/EC, the number and geographical distribution of sampling points shall be determined to obtain a reasonable coverage of the F1constituent GB territory, zone or compartment. The sampling points shall be representative of the different ecosystems where wild populations of susceptible species are located;

3. (c)

   when farms or wild populations are to be subject to health inspections or sampled more than once per year, the intervals between the health inspections and between the collection of samples shall be at least 4 months and as long as possible, taking into account the temperature requirements provided for in point (a);

4. (d)

   all production units, such as ponds, tanks and net cages, shall be subject to health inspections for the presence of dead, weak or abnormally behaving fish. Particular attention shall be paid to the water outlet area where weak fish tend to accumulate because of the water current;

5. (e)

   fish of susceptible species to be collected as samples shall be selected as follows:

   1. (i)

      if rainbow trout are present, only fish of that species shall be selected for sampling, except where other susceptible species are present which show typical signs of VHS or IHN; if rainbow trout are not present, the sample must be representative of all other susceptible species which are present;

   2. (ii)

      if weak, abnormally behaving or freshly dead but not decomposed fish are present, such fish shall be selected; if more than one water source is utilised for fish production, fish representing all water sources shall be included in the sample;

   3. (iii)

      the fish selected shall include fish collected in such a way that all parts of the farm, as well as all year classes, are proportionally represented in the sample.