Ships and Aircraft are defined as food premises under The Food Hygiene (Ships and Aircraft) (Wales) Order 2003, and consequently the Port Health Team are tasked with undertaking inspections of all ships that enter the ports of Milford Haven and Fishguard in order to enforce the requirements of food hygiene legislation.
Enforcement of minimum standards is often difficult due to language and cultural differences with foreign crew, and, compliance is usually secured through informal discussion and advice. However, if required a mechanism exists to ensure compliance via legal methods whereby the Food Standards Agency act as a liaison body with the relevant agencies in the countries where foreign ships are registered.
Because ships and aircraft move from port to port, and may visit the UK infrequently, liaison between port health authorities takes place to ensure that follow-up visits and inspections are undertaken in order to ensure progress with any matters that need rectifying. Liaison between authorities also takes place to ensure that there is planning and consistency of inspection, enforcement and educational activities. The Association of Port Health Authorities (APHA) performs a vital role in this liaison process, and provides a link between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and port health authorities. This is achieved by the use of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between APHA and the MCA.
Ship Sanitation Control Certificates
Foreign going merchant vessels are required, under the International Health Regulations 2005, to be inspected at six monthly intervals and issued with either a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate or a Ship Sanitation Control Certificate, which records the inspection of the vessel and either the exemption from controls or control measures applied.
These certificates replace the Deratting Certificates and Deratting Exemption Certificates, which were a long established requirement world-wide.
Ports around the world have been designated by the World Health Organisation to issue the new certificates. Milford Haven Port Health District (Pembrokeshire County Council) is designated for the issue of both certificates at all ports and terminals within its district. To arrange an inspection of a vessel and issue of a certificate, please contact the Port Health Team giving as much notice as possible.
The full list of designated UK ports can be viewed on the Association of Port Health Authorities website: http://www.porthealthassociation.co.uk
A full list of designated ports around the world can be viewed on the WHO website: www.who.int
The fees for the new certificates have been reviewed following their implementation and can be found here
Fishing Vessels
Changes to food hygiene legislation in January 2006 mean that minimum standards for structure, hygiene and landing requirements now apply to fishing vessels. The Port Health Team is responsible for enforcing these provisions.
Food Hygiene on Fishing Vessels gives detailed information on the requirements for fishing vessels.
Pest Control
Pests can cause particular problems on board vessel, ranging from spread of disease from country to country, to contaminating food supplies and cargos carried on ships. Many types of pests can be found on ships, but the most common are cockroaches and rodents.
Pest Control on Vessels gives further information on this matter.
Rabies
Rabies is a central nervous system disease of mammals with the highest case fatality ratio among infectious diseases. It is zoonotic (can be passed from animals to humans) and is most commonly transmitted by the bite of an infected animal. Rabies in terrestrial animals is present in all continents with the exception of some islands (e.g. Hawaii, Japan and New Zealand), an increasing number of European countries and Antarctica. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that 50,000 rabies deaths occur in humans worldwide each year. The highest number of human rabies cases are reported in Africa and Asia, particularly the Indian sub-continent.
The UK has very strict Rabies laws, and anyone wishing to bring an animal into the country must abide by quarantine regulations or face possible punishment. Although the Port Health Team does not enforce such laws, they are ideally positioned to undertake surveillance work on this matter.