Exporting Bovine Embryos to Australia

1 September 2010

bovembec.aus

Ref:  AE-AU-5L

1.  Statutory authority

Pursuant to section 60 of the Animal Products Act 1999:

(i)  I notify the following overseas market access requirements, entitled bovine embryos to Australia

(ii)  Revoke OMAR B BOVEMBEC.AUS 13.04.10.

This notice takes effect from date of signing.

Dated at Wellington on this 7th day of September 2010.

 

Signed: Matthew Stone BVSc MACVSc MVS (Epidemiology)
Group Manager
Animal Imports and Exports
Border Standards Directorate
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand
(pursuant to delegated authority)

2.  Australian requirements

Bovine embryos exported from New Zealand to Australia must comply with the import requirements of Australia listed in this notice as follows:

2.1  An Import Permit is required for the exportation of bovine embryos to Australia.

2.2  An Official Veterinarian of the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, must certify, after due enquiry:

2.2.1  The embryos for export were:

2.2.1.1  either in-vivo derived

2.2.1.2  or in-vitro produced (IVP).

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.2  Embryos and/or ova were obtained from live donors of known identification.

2.2.3  The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has approved:

2.2.3.1  the team veterinarian who either supervised the collection and processing of in-vivo derived embryos or the in-vitro embryo production team

2.2.3.2  the processing and storage facilities

2.2.3.3  in the case of  IVP embryos, the processing laboratory responsible for the maturation, fertilisation and culture of the embryos for export.

2.2.4  The processing laboratory (including any mobile laboratory) was under the direct supervision of the team veterinarian, and was routinely inspected by an Official Veterinarian.

2.2.5  The donor females:

2.2.5.1  were from herds that, at the time of collection, were officially free of bovine tuberculosis

2.2.5.2  were healthy and free from clinical evidence of infectious diseases transmissible by embryo transfer throughout the collection period

2.2.5.3  were tested negative to either an intra-dermal tuberculin test or a blood tuberculosis test during the twelve (12) months immediately prior to collection.

2.2.6  The embryos in this consignment were fertilised:

2.2.6.1  either by a bull with the same health status as the female donor

2.2.6.2  or with semen collected at a semen centre approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to export bovine semen to Australia

2.2.6.3  or with semen imported from a third country, which met the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s import conditions. The third country was recognised by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as a country free from FMD without vaccination at the time of collection.

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.7  At the time of collection and processing, the embryo production team and processing laboratory complied with the relevant recommendations of the OIE Code.

2.2.8  The embryos were collected, processed and stored in accordance with the relevant recommendations of the OIE Code.

2.2.9  The laboratory has a quality assurance programme to ensure that where culture media and cells, and biological products of animal origin are being used, they are free from living pathogenic micro-organisms. All media were sterilised by methods recommended by the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) and handled in a manner to ensure that their sterility was maintained. Antibiotics were added to all fluids and media as recommended by IETS.

2.2.10  The embryos were washed with trypsin in accordance with the IETS recommendations.

2.2.11  All laboratory tests for animal pathogens were undertaken at laboratories approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to undertake testing for export purposes.

2.2.12  The embryos for export to Australia were identified, and have been stored since the end of the collection period until export under the supervision of an Official Veterinarian in containers in which no biological material other than semen, embryos or ova of equivalent health status was held.

2.2.13  Where reproductive material was removed from containers for further processing or aggregation with other reproductive material at an approved centre or laboratory, the dates of transfer, reason for transfer, name of the approved centre or laboratory and the approved veterinarian must be listed against the containers.

2.2.13.1  either new

2.2.13.2  or prior to loading, the shipping container was emptied and inspected, and any loose straws removed. The shipping container, including all surfaces contacting the straws, was disinfected. Name and active ingredient. Date of disinfection.

(AQIS accepts the following disinfectants: 2% available chlorine; Virkon at manufacturers recommended rate; irradiation at 50kGy.)

(To be deleted as appropriate)

2.2.14  Prior to export, the shipping container was sealed by an Official Veterinarian, using a seal(s) that bears the marks to be recorded on the export certificate.

3.  Definitions

For the purposes of this document:

Any term or expression that is defined in the Animal Products Act 1999 and used, but not defined in this document, has the same meaning as in this Act.

Explanatory note

This OMAR is based on the export certificate for bovine embryos to Australia, dated 1 September 2010.

 

Additional Information on OMAR Notification: BOVEMBEC.AUS 01.09.10

1.  This OMAR replaces the one dated 13 April 2010, and was approved by AQIS on the 1 September 2010. It is based on the relevant information as shown on the ICON data base (AQIS - original promulgation 1 October 2004, sexed semen amendments 1 April 2010: “Veterinary certification for the importation of in-vitro and in-vivo produced bovine embryos from New Zealand”), with the additional requirement of imported semen being from countries free from FMD without vaccination at the time of collection.

2.  An Import Permit is required.

3.  These conditions allow the import of embryos derived from domestic cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus), and breeds derived from these species.

4.  These requirements are the minimum requirements for importation into Australia. Different zones of Australia have different animal health status and state or territory veterinary authorities may require further testing or certification for certain diseases before direct export into a specific zone.

 

Section 61.A of the Animal Products Amendments Act 2005 states that 'The Crown is not liable, and nor is the Director-General or any employee of the Ministry liable, for any loss arising through the refusal or failure of the relevant authority of an overseas market to admit export animal material or animal product to that market'.