What is the role of the health veterinarian and how to officially designate him?

Animal owners or event managers referred to in article R. 203-1 of the rural and maritime fishing code are required, as soon as their activity is set up, to designate a health veterinarianfor their activity so that the latter can carry out certain missions regulations for surveillance, prevention or control of regulated animal diseases. For aquatic animals, this procedure concerns:

• Aquaculture farms with the exception of shellfish farms, subject to zoosanitary approval;
• Public aquariums;
• Animal stores for sale;
• Animal research/animal experimentation stores (all domestic and wild species);
• Breeding or supply of animals intended for animal experimentation (all domestic species and wild animals);

The health veterinarian of a farm is the contact person responsible for surveillance, on behalf of the State, but also and above all in the primary interest of the breeder, of diseases or first category health dangersor those of second category causing the subject of a compulsory or voluntary collective program (no program of this nature in fish).

In the logic of continuous monitoring of these diseases through the symptoms observed in the animals, and no longer screening during periodic checks, the health veterinarian must be as much as possible the veterinarian who monitors the health of the animals and implements prevention plans for common conditions.

To appoint the health veterinarian, a formmust be completed by the keeper of the animals and by the designated health veterinarian then sent to the DD(CS)PP of the department where the animals concerned are located.

See also: Categories of holders subject to the obligation to designate a health veterinarian