Our purpose
Our core remit is to provide advice and support to UK
government and its agencies.
Cefas is an executive agency of the UK's
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Our
work directly supports delivery of the aquatic-related aspects of
Defra's key
priorities and strategic objectives.
As an executive agency, we play a vital role in securing healthy
marine and freshwater environments for everyone's well-being,
health and prosperity.
This is achieved by providing evidence-based scientific advice,
managing related data and information, conducting scientific
research, and facilitating collaborative action through
wide-ranging international relationships.
We apply our scientific expertise and knowledge to:
- conserve and enhance marine and wider aquatic environments and
ecosystems
- ensure sustainable use of natural resources, in particular fish
stocks
- collect, interpret and manage data to underpin decisions and to
support long-term monitoring
- protect society and the economy from the effects of aquatic
contaminants and fish diseases
- promote adaptation to the impacts of climate change on the
aquatic environment and ecosystems
- enable government and other customers' response to
emergencies.
We are a key delivery partner for Defra and for the Marine
Management Organisation; provide advice and/or programmes for the
Welsh Assembly Government, the Food Standards Agency and the
Environment Agency; and collaborate with the Joint Nature
Conservation Committee, Natural England, the University of East
Anglia and many more scientific institutes.