Aquaculture Regulatory Toolbox for England | Seafish

Aquaculture Regulatory Toolbox for England

England's aquaculture industry is currently made up of a diverse range of mostly small and medium sized enterprises that are close to local markets.



Farms produce a range of finfish, shellfish and crustaceans in marine, intertidal and freshwater environments. With increasing focus being placed on topics such as food and nutritional security, a growing population and increasing demand for healthy products, the English aquaculture industry must increase production to meet these needs.

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has developed guidance on English aquaculture regulatory issues which is collated in this single Seafish hosted portal to assist businesses and regulators deal with aquaculture business applications. 

As owners of this guidance Cefas have in place a program of annual review and update schedules. Any comments or questions about the Aquaculture Regulatory Toolbox and its contents should be directed to Cefas.

For further information, please contact Cefas

Regulatory Requirements and Guidance for Aquaculture Businesses in England

Here you will find Cefas guidance on regulatory requirements for new aquaculture businesses in England covering existing and emerging sub-sectors. This information has been offered on the Seafish website since March 2016 and the below downloadable documents (in PDF format) were most recently updated by Cefas in March 2020.

Note: A similar toolbox providing Cefas guidance for aquaculture businesses in Wales is available on the Marine Wales website 

Initial Documents

Aquaculture Sectors in England (existent and emerging)

Aquaculture Regulators - Quick Look Reference Table

Aquaculture Sectors

Marine Shellfish - Marine-based Culture

Marine Shellfish - Land-based Culture

Marine Shellfish - Purification Centre

Marine Crustacean - Cage Culture

Marine Finfish - Land-based Pump-ashore Culture

Marine Finfish - Open Net Pen and Submerged Cage Culture

Marine Finfish - Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) Culture

Marine Macro algae - Marine-based Culture

Marine Macro algae -  Land-based Culture

Marine Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)

Freshwater Finfish - Flow-through and Static Water Culture

Freshwater Finfish - Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) Culture

Freshwater Aquaponics

Aquaculture Guidance for Regulators in England