Veterinarians have criticised EU rules on organic farming that demands that fish are treated with homoeopathic remedies . In line with EU regulations , the first line of treatment for organic fish should be 'substances from plants , animals or minerals in a homeopathic dilution ' , before . British and Norwegian vets have called the directives 'scientifically illiterate ' , saying that the use of homeopathy could lead to 'serious animal health and welfare detriment . ' 'Risk ' : Under EU regulations , organic farmers must first use 'substances from plants , animals or minerals in a homeopathic dilution ' to treat ill fish , which has been criticised by British and Norwegian vets ( stock image ) The directives , outlined in the 2009 European regulation on organic aquaculture , are set to be brought into national law in non-EU Norway , which has caused vets to see red . Section 7 of the regulations calls for organic farmers to use 'substances from plants , animals or minerals in a homoeopathic dilution ' , as their first port of call when their fish are ill. After this , the 'veterinary treatments ' section outlines that farmers may use 'plants and their extracts not having anaesthetic effects ' . As well as the directive to use homeopathic treatments , organic fish farmers are only allowed to resort to mainstream medical treatments a maximum of twice per year , or their fish will lose its organic certification . This has been criticised by the Norwegian Veterinary Association ( NVA ) as could mean that fish are not getting the correct treatment in time , causing them unnecessary suffering . Danger : British and Norwegian vets have called the EU directives on organic fish treatment 'scientifically illiterate ' , saying that the use of homeopathy could lead to 'serious animal health and welfare detriment ' 'We think it 's totally unacceptable from a scientific point of view because there 's no scientific basis for using homeopathy , ' Ellef Blakstad , the head of the Norwegian Veterinary Association , told The Local.no . 'If you start using homeopathy , you prolong the time when the animals are not getting adequate treatment and that 's a threat to animal welfare . ' Harsh : Farmers are only allowed to use mainstream medical treatments a twice per year , or their fish will lose its organic certification ( stock image ) The criticism from Norway has been echoed by the British Veterinary Association , saying use of homeopathy could lead to 'serious animal health and welfare detriment . ' The British Veterinary Association ( BVA ) can not endorse the use of homeopathic remedies , or indeed any products , making therapeutic claims , which have no proven efficacy , ' British Veterinary Association President John Blackwell told MailOnline . 'As with any treatment for disease using medicines , BVA believes that veterinary medicinal products must be evidence-based , with any medicinal claims made by a manufacturer supported . 'If homeopathic remedies are used without proven effectiveness on farmed fish across the EU , including the UK , the consequence could be serious animal health and welfare detriment , which would be counterproductive to both animal health and to the farmed fish industry in the UK . ' Homepathic treatments are based on the principle that 'like cures like ' , whereby a highly diluted substance that causes the symptoms in a healthy person , can also cure similar symptoms in a sick person . A 2010 House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report on homeopathy said that homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos , and that the principles on which homeopathy is based are 'scientifically implausible ' .
Norwegian vets criticise EU regulations on treatment of organic fish . First line of treatment for organic fish should be homeopathic remedy . Vets call directives 'scientifically illiterate ' , saying it delays real care . British vets say use of homeopathy could lead to serious health detriment .